Jaden Welgemoed of Standerton shares his cosplay journey

Jaden Welgemoed (21) is an anomaly in the Standerton community and brings great diversity to the wide range of artists that already reside in Standerton.

Welgemoed has been a fan of dressing up since pre-school but fully embarked on his cosplay journey when he was eight years old.

He explained that cosplaying entails making costumes and dressing up as any character from TV shows, video games or even books.

With the help of his mother and several YouTube tutorials, Welgemoed learned how to make several different characters out of any material lying around.

“Designing costumes can be a lengthy process, going from reference pictures into planning and drawing out each part,” said Welgemoed.

A rather nifty skill he has developed during this time is sewing, which he learnt from his mother. Sewing is a big part of the process as each cosplay has material elements as well as props, which Welgemoed also crafts himself using Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) foam.

Welgemoed explained that cosplay outfits can be saved and can last for years.

“I once cosplayed Archer, the main character from the show Archer and I still wear the suit today,” said Welgemoed.

To him, cosplay is a way of expressing yourself and fulfilling fantasies. He particularly enjoys finishing a new piece and seeing his handiwork.

“To me, it takes bravery to be different. In a town where people don’t embrace cosplay as openly as in the city, many people don’t understand this form of art,” said Welgemoed.

However, he gets the support to keep on going from his loving family.

Welgemoed hopes to one day be able to make a career out of costume design and continues to promote doing what makes him happy, in spite of potential criticism.