{"id":5981,"date":"2023-10-12T14:48:48","date_gmt":"2023-10-12T14:48:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/deshigeek.com\/?p=5981"},"modified":"2023-11-29T07:52:41","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T07:52:41","slug":"alejo-diaz-the-colombian-armor-master","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deshigeek.com\/features\/alejo-diaz-the-colombian-armor-master\/","title":{"rendered":"Alejo Diaz The Colombian Armor Master"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As you can deduce from the title Alejo Diaz is a master of Armor Cosplay. His crafting skills and understanding of armor making are top notch. I had the pleasure of meeting him at the World Cosplay Summit Saudi Exhibition Event 2022. The humongous cosplay segment was held in Riyadh with representatives from around 50 countries as part of the Gamers 8 event. The cosplay segment was organized by Vega Entertainment<\/a> and overseen by World Cosplay Summit<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I met many talented and amazing cosplayers in Saudi during that event as I have featured a few already \u2013 Baka Sakura<\/a>, AC Hernandez<\/a>, and Lotuss Cosplay<\/a>. Among the many eye-catching cosplays, Alejo Diaz stood out with his Zinogre character from Monster Hunter. I was awe-struck to see him in the armor costume. The amount of work and attention to detail that went into that cosplay is beyond my imagination and this is something I can confidently say because I experienced it first-hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alejo Diaz hails from Bogota in Colombia and has made a radiant mark in the Colombian Cosplay Community with his cosplays and crafts. The dentist by trade runs a crafting workshop named \u2018Armory Kingdom Cosplay & Props<\/a>\u2019 where he creates his cosplays and does commission work for clients as well. As a senior cosplayer, he definitely has clout and influence in the community. He also belongs to the \u2018Comunidad de Cosplayers Colombianos\u2019 which is the official cosplay community of Colombia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alejo Diaz – Promo – Deshi Geek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Journey Of Alejo Diaz<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When I sat for the interview with Alejo Diaz, my first question was, \u201cWhat made you want to cosplay?\u201d. \u201cSince I was little, I have been interested in everything related to art and pop culture. I enjoyed painting, sculpting, and creating things from recyclables, which eventually led me to become interested in making costumes and later getting into cosplay.\u201d, Alejo replied. \u201cI have admiration for several cosplayers like Kamui, Maul, Kinpatsu, among others.\u201d, he announced his admiration for these well-known cosplayers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hold a special fondness for each of the cosplays I’ve done, among them Yoshimitsu from Tekken, Karas, The Comedian, Ice King from Adventure Time, Rengar from League of Legends, but especially for Rost from Horizon Zero Dawn. I believe it embodies several characteristics with which I can fully identify, including commitment to my beliefs, loyalty, willingness to teach, perseverance, and a protective spirit.\u201d, Alejo shared his love for the fictional characters and described the ones he cosplayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alejo Diaz has been cosplaying since 2009 and usually does 2-3 cosplays a year. However, recently he has been focusing more on commission works and creating around 20 costumes a year for his clients. Alejo has attended numerous conventions over the years – CNC (National Cosplay Contest), Ultimein, and Bogot\u00e1 Cosplay are a few of them. His favorite convention is SOFA, which takes place every year in Bogot\u00e1, Colombia, in the month of October. It’s the largest convention in South America. Being the talented cosplayer he is, it is evident that Alejo has won many awards but according to him, \u201cI haven’t kept track of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The memory of the first cosplay is still fresh to Alejo Diaz as he reminisced, \u201cMy first cosplay was Vincent Valentine from Final Fantasy Advent Children in the year 2009. I crafted it using newspaper and white glue. I also used leather, some fabrics, and materials from my dental practice. It was quite a challenge because I didn’t know where the process would lead, but fortunately, everything turned out well, and I won second place at that event.\u201d He announced four upcoming projects \u2013 Kaiman from Dorohedoro, Geralt from The Witcher, Marcus F\u00e9nix from GOW, and Eivor from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alejo Diaz – Visual 1 – Deshi Geek<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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Cosplaying Essence Of Alejo Diaz<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat Cosplay means to you?\u201d, I asked. \u201cFor me, cosplay is an opportunity to test my ability to create and portray a character. It’s also the means through which I channel my creativity and bring fictional characters to life. To me, it’s a form of art in its purest expression.\u201d Alejo Diaz answered just like the passionate artist he is. He then continued, \u201cI always see an opportunity to learn many things in every cosplay project I undertake, from planning to construction and the final result, because each costume has its unique challenges and is particularly special in its making. Being able to experiment with different techniques is truly wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe biggest challenge is always starting any project because you don’t yet know how you’re going to execute it. Once planned, the choice of materials and techniques, and finally, adapting the costume to the body, especially when I enjoy making armor, is the most difficult part.\u201d, Alejo described. \u201cStyling wigs and makeup will always be an important part of bringing certain characters to life. If the character demands it, that aspect is definitely a must.\u201d, he continued, \u201cThe essence of cosplay is precisely to always embody the character. Cosplay falls short if you don’t have the character’s characterization.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTell me about a funny incident then!\u201d, I lightened the conversation. \u201cAt an event, I was wearing a Warhammer armor, a Grey Knight, which was approximately 2.5 meters tall (I’m 1.68 meters). While I was going up a ramp, I fell on my back and couldn’t get up. I looked like a turtle on its shell, only able to move my arms and legs. It was truly a funny moment.\u201d, he described the incident with a chuckle. \u201cWhat is the most important trait of a cosplayer?\u201d, I queried. \u201cI believe the most important trait a cosplayer should have, is the willingness to learn new things and the humility to accept advice and constructive criticism.\u201d Alejo remarked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alejo Diaz – Visual 2 – Deshi Geek<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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Deserved International Experience<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Alejo Diaz represented Colombia in the World Cosplay Summit Saudi Exhibition Event 2022 and that is a great honor. It is also a testament to his talent to represent his country on the International Stage. \u201cMy greatest experience in an international competition was in 2022 when I had the opportunity to travel to Arabia as a representative of Colombia at WCS GAMERS 8. It was an unforgettable experience because I got to visit a place in the world, I never imagined I’d go to. I met wonderful people and fabulous cosplayers.\u201d, he described his unforgettable experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDespite not speaking English, I had the opportunity to share unforgettable moments with people from different countries and cultures. I didn’t let language be a barrier; with my basic English, I tried to talk to anyone in front of me. I made several friends with whom I still communicate, and this is the beauty of events like WCS, having the chance to meet and make friends from remote parts of the world.\u201d, Alejo went on to make a declaration of future achievements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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La Clausura<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow far do you want to go as a cosplayer?\u201d, I probed. \u201cMy personal challenge as a cosplayer has always been to learn more every day. I never saw competing or winning contests as my main goal, but having the opportunity to travel and meet people from different countries with great human qualities makes me want to participate and win the WCS.\u201d Alejo Diaz announced and then included the role of his close ones in his journey, \u201cMy family and friends have always supported me. Fortunately, I am surrounded by people who admire the artistry behind it. They are always looking forward to my next project and support me in any way they can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is your impression of Bangladeshi Cosplay Scene?\u201d, I enquired. \u201cSince I live on a different continent, separated by a vast ocean, my knowledge of the cosplay scene in Bangladesh is very limited. My only references are cosplayers Oly Shahriar Hasan and Abir Hasan, who, in addition to being very talented, are two of the most wonderful people I’ve had the opportunity to meet. I would love to see them again someday. Their warmth and kindness are truly admirable.\u201d, Alejo replied and also praised me to my delight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAny advice for aspiring cosplayers?\u201d, I asked. \u201cTo all the people who want to start on the cosplay journey, I advise you to be willing to learn, to accept advice and criticism, and above all, to have fun. Let cosplay not be a burden but an opportunity for enjoyment.\u201d, Alejo Diaz replied with motivational words. \u201cSay something about Deshi Geek!\u201d, I hinted at the closure with this. \u201cI send greetings to my friends at Deshi Geek. It’s great that they showcase cosplayers. I wish them success in all their projects and greetings to all their followers!\u201d, he exclaimed and to return the favor we wish him and Armory Kingdom Cosplay & Props<\/a> all the success!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As you can deduce from the title Alejo Diaz is a master of Armor Cosplay. His crafting skills and understanding<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5986,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1072],"tags":[1135,1136,241,446,236,1137,361],"class_list":["post-5981","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-alejo-diaz","tag-armory-kingdom-cosplay-props","tag-cosplay","tag-cosplayer","tag-deshigeek","tag-gamers-8","tag-world-cosplay-summit"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deshigeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deshigeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deshigeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deshigeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deshigeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5981"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/deshigeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5981\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5987,"href":"https:\/\/deshigeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5981\/revisions\/5987"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deshigeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deshigeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deshigeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deshigeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}