Tasha Diamond graduated from Arts University Bournemouth’s BA (Hons) Modelmaking course in 2010, with a love of making movie props that she successfully turned into a career before pivoting into the fascinating world of ‘illusion cakes’.
After seeing Tasha go viral for her cakes dressed up as pasties and carrots that are impossible to tell apart from the real deal, AUB commissioned Tasha to create a model of the iconic Drawing Studio on campus to celebrate its 10th Birthday.
We took the opportunity to catch up with Tasha and find out how she's made the move from building the sets of Doctor Who to hyper-realistic bakes.
What originally drew you to the Modelmaking course at AUB?
"I’ve always been good at creative things," Tasha says. I had a real interest in set design, but not the actual designing on paper part. It was the making props bit that I wanted to do."
"I used to watch the Harry Potter films and think, 'I want to make things like that!' I’d seen that AUB’s Modelmaking course had made some stuff for one of the films, and that’s what made me think, 'Well, that’s the thing that I should end up doing!'”
How was your experience on the course looking back?
“I absolutely loved the course, it was brilliant,” she enthuses. Beyond the skills she developed, it was also a major personal milestone as it's where she met her husband, Ben Diamond, who now works in the AUB workshop's metalworking section.
Where did your career take you immediately after graduation?
Tasha initially pursued the traditional model-making path: “I worked for some different film companies and I even made some parts for the costumes on Doctor Who.”
However, the industry lifestyle eventually led her to pivot. “The actual job was good, but it wasn't the lifestyle I wanted,” Tasha explains, noting the tough hours and lack of creative freedom.
How did the interest in cakes arise?
Tasha's passion started as a hobby inspired by her mother-in-law. Her natural talent for the craft was confirmed early on, when she entered the Cake International competition and won a silver award for a Wallace and Gromit-themed creation.
It didn't take long for Tasha's unique creations to capture attention online. As the ‘is it cake?’ trend began dominating social media feeds worldwide, Tasha found herself at the very centre of it. Her hyper-realistic bakes, ranging from deceptively glossy fruits to everyday household objects, began racking up millions of views, shares and astonished comments from viewers who couldn't tell the difference between reality and sponge cake.
By blending her technical background in modelmaking with the art of baking, Tasha's her true niche. Today, she uses her skills – such as sculpting, colour matching and understanding textures – to trick the eye with edible masterpieces.
Tasha’s career path came full circle when she was commissioned by AUB to create a show-stopping centrepiece for the 10th anniversary of the iconic Drawing Studio, designed by alumnus and Honorary Fellow Professor Sir Peter Cook RA and his studio, CRAB.
Tasked with recreating Professor Sir Peter Cook’s original architectural model in edible form, Tasha put her modelmaking background to the ultimate test. The resulting 'illusion cake' sat side-by-side with the actual model. From the fluid geometry to the seamless finish matching the building's iconic steel skin, the cake was a flawless replica.
“Coming back to AUB to celebrate a building that defines the campus was an honour,” Tasha said. “Recreating Sir Peter’s vision in cake was a unique challenge – matching that specific 'AUB Blue' and the fluid geometry of the studio required the same precision I learned during my time here as a modelmaking student.”
You can check out Tasha’s hyper-realistic illusion bakes by following her on Instagram: @thediamondbaker.
