Be Particular

Rotofugi Designer Toy Store & Gallery, established in July 2004, is located on the border of Chicago's Lincoln Park and Lakeview neighborhoods in a beautiful vintage building. Since opening, Rotofugi has grown to become one of the world's premier sellers of designer toys from artists all over the world. Rotofugi features a diverse selection of vinyl figures, capsule toys, plush and more from both eastern and western designers. The adjoining Rotofugi Gallery features monthly art exhibits by a range of both local and nationally known artists. Beginning in late 2007 Rotofugi partnered with Chicago based product development specialist Squibbles Ink to begin producing artist-designed figures by the talented designers located in their home town. Click here for more information on Squibbles Ink + Rotofugi projects. Rotofugi is owned and operated by husband and wife duo Kirby and Whitney Kerr. You can find the couple in and around the store on most days. They love to talk about toys and art.Artist David "Netherland" van Alphen lives and works in Chicago, Illinois. Though David's family was from Holland, he was born in Toronto, and has been in Chicago for the last thirteen years. Being a child of the 70's has influenced him greatly and is reflected in most of his work. Juxtaposing images, his color choices and the new modern context comes through his nostalgic imagery and helps to isolate and enhance them into a beautiful montage. David has shown at many galleries throughout the U.S. and sold out his first solo show in January 2008 and recently sold out his last show in 2018.Chad Kouri finds his inspiration from his work as a graphic designer creating texturally rich pieces using found and vintage paper. He hails from a small town north of Detroit and now lives and works in Chicago where he is an active participant in the thriving art community, contributing to and creating his own magazines while working as a member of ThePostFamily and the RRR Collective. He has collaborated with artists such as Cody Hudson, Stephen Eichhorn & Pia Howell. He was recently named one of Newcity Magazine's breakout artists of 2011 and showed at their booth at NEXT in Chicago this past spring. Previously, he has held the title of Art Director at the award winning contemporary art magazine Proximity. His projects range in diversity from publications to collage, to sculpture, print and music.