Arts grad sculpts successful transition to career By Robert S. Godlewski
Hanson Bassey shares his journey at KSU
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culpture student and 3D artist Hanson Bassey has been molding and shaping his career direction since he was a teenager in Lagos State, Nigeria. Through Kennesaw State’s 3D Lab in the College of the Arts, he has discovered the perfect way to fuse his twin passions of technology and art. “The 3D Lab opened in the fall semester of 2019, and I have been involved in it as a student assistant since its inception,” said Bassey, who earned a college degree in computer technology in his native Nigeria before immigrating to America. An amazing place to visit, the 3D Lab is located in the School of Art and Design’s Visual Arts Building. Managed by Makerspace Collective, a student-run club, it provides opportunities for students to utilize existing KSU technology and facilities for their creative endeavors. “As president of the Makerspace Collective, I try my best to help students from all disciplines with their individual needs and utilize the technical knowledge, skill and experience gained in school to make a positive contribution,” Bassey said. Geo Sipp, director of the School of Art and Design, is one of Bassey’s biggest fans. He credits him with launching KSU’s nascent lab and inspiring his fellow students to learn more about 3D design.
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“Hanson runs our 3D Maker Space; he is entirely self-taught, and we are learning from him!” said Sipp. “Such is the way with advanced technology.”
Hands-On Experience The affable Bassey loves teaching others and especially enjoys assisting students who might not be familiar with the College of the Arts’ new high-tech learning environment. “Sculpture student Dylan Doyle came in with a maquette (scale model) about one foot in height,” said Bassey. “He had sculpted this by hand in clay, wanting to produce a seven-foot replica in foam.” The transformation required many steps, but Bassey walked Doyle through the process to a successful conclusion. “With our existing technology we were able to 3D scan his clay model, import it to a VR sculpting program (Oculus Medium) for final refinements, slice it in a CAD software (Autodesk 3DS Max) into 3D planes that would eventually be CNC routed in foam for assembly,” he said.
