Meet Maja Mesić, the designer who turned a love for color into Boya pastels, inspiring both little and big artists alike.
CIYP:When you were younger, did you dream of this job?
Maja: Well, not really. I had a passion for art and design since I was very young, and people (especially my parents) noticed that I was always drawing or creating something, but I never thought I would start a company that produces crayons. After I won the Red Dot Award, I decided to try and create it in Croatia, and the rest is history.
CIYP: At what point did it become real?
Maja: The idea was actually initiated by a Croatian company called TOZ. They were seeking a new millennium pencil, but I thought the field of drawing might be more interesting. I was still at university, and as I mentioned, it wasn’t until the Red Dot award that it became a reality. I always thought it would be cool if something like this existed.
CIYP: What makes Boya different from other crayons?
Maja: Boya is shaped differently and allows you to draw with lines as well as coloured surfaces on the flat side. By using different sides of the crayon and varying the pressure, you can achieve totally different textures. The flat side is like a brushstroke movement. Boya doesn’t imply a way of holding the crayon in your hand, so you manoeuvre it with your fingers in a different way. The materials are also different. Boya is something between soft pastel and wax crayon, with wax used as a binder, allowing us to blend colours more finely.
CIYP: Boya offers a variety of colour combinations, but what are your favourite colour combinations?
Maja: This is a tough one! Every new colour we create becomes a favourite for a while. I like all sorts of violets and blues, the combination of gold and blue, but not just the straight colour, more these sorts of tones. I could say that I’m less of a red and orange person, more of a deep blue and green, with bronze or gold. I like when you mix colours with violet instead of black; it gives a very rich tone.
CIYP: What is the future for Boya?
Maja: Hopefully, a lot more colours! I hope that everything will support the idea, as ideas and plans are sometimes bigger than what you can currently do. Developing an idea is one thing, making it a reality is totally different. Certainly, there will be more colours and new materials, possibly even next year if we succeed in what we are doing now. A bright future!
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