Lee Ren Chang, known professionally as oodplex is a Malaysia-based designer toy artist since 2016. oodplex is a made-up word consisting of ‘oodle’ and ‘complex’, and should be taken to mean ‘a great amount of complicated things’.

While pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Illustration at the University of West of England (UWE), Bristol, oodplex was inspired by New Zealand-based toy artists Yoii x Wetworks in creating his own designer toy. Raiki, a deer-like creature designer toy was first shown at Malaysia’s AniManGaki 2017, and later exhibited at Glitch Gallery Bristol, under the theme Custom Raiki Show in 2018. Since then, oodplex has designed many other toys including his most recent design, the mushroom-like creature Ben. 

BLEAK is oodplex’s first solo exhibition which features Ben as the titular character in various forms including life-sized sculptures, digital works and artworks. The idea of the exhibition first came about in 2018. It draws upon feelings of isolation during the time he was studying alone in the United Kingdom, and with the pandemic lockdown, things seem to be back in the loop but amplified.

oodplex has participated in various toy shows globally, including in China, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the Philippines and Singapore.