Mr. Obregon

About Mr. Obregón

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My name is Cristian Gabriel Obregon, and I am the creator of Mr. Obregon otherwise known as Sr. Obregon. I was born in Mar del Plata, a very touristic, coastal city in the region of Buenos Aires, Argentina. My artistic story begins from a young age, with my mother accompanying me to the annual drawing and painting competitions. Later, as a teenager, I moved from visual arts to theatre, and discovered stage design. This allowed me to develop my carpentry skills, which without, I would not be where I am today. Those following years I was able to develop my skills in many different fields, from set design in cinema, to interior design, visual merchandising, product design and furniture making.

In 2014 I was part of a community project funded by the Argentinian government called Espacio Unzue, where my role was to design and make cooperative games. The space consisted of a large outdoor venue which hosted a summer programme with up to 3000 people participating in activities daily. The objective of the project was social integration through cultural and recreational activities with an importance of inclusion and participation. This project showed that very little resources were needed to create a happy, thriving community for everyone.

After meeting my kiwi partner Blaire in Spain and living together there for a few years, we decided to come to New Zealand and try to create a cooperative project with the same spirit of Espacio Unzue. Our idea is to create those spaces and activities that reconnect us with our inner child. Cooperative games promote a healthy sense of play, teaching communication and collaboration, whether it be individually or in a group. We have focused on inclusion as part of our project, with many games being designed for a range of different abilities, our main interest being that everyone can participate. Another big motivator for us is the integration of art and creativity in the dynamics of play, with many games including some form of creative or artistic aspect. Our goal isn’t to recreate nostalgic games, but to make these games and play part of everyday life, whether it be shared with friends, family or strangers. Somethings tells us we are on the right track but for now, let’s keep playing!

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