High and Dry

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. Exhibit Information Maple City New Works by 64 Colors June 7-30, 2013 Opening Reception Friday, June 7, 2013, 7-10PM Artists will be in attendance. About the Artists 64 Colors' art is like a treasure map to a confectionary wonderland. Fresh, sweet-toothed friends sprout along the path and act as guides into a fairy-tale forest. It is a world where pineapples dance, acorns go on adventures, and kittens eat ice cream. At the center of this magical place, is Marshall, 64 Colors' signature marshmallow character. Marshall's mutiny of cuteness began with a letterpress print in 2008, and he quickly bounced into the third dimension as a successful vinyl toy series. In the years that followed, Marshall appeared soft as plush and hard as wood, dark and heavy for Halloween, or light and airy as a paper lantern. Like Marshall, 64 Colors are shape-shifters. Fueled by sugar, chocolate, caffeine, and sushi, they produce retro-style designs across a variety of product lines. Their charismatic characters are inspired by vintage cartoons, anthropomorphic edibles, and Japanese kawaii and have appeared as toys, apparel, accessories and lifestyle goods available around the world. By mixing the texture of screen-printing with the smoothness of flat blocks of color, they achieve an aesthetic that is at once comfortingly Acrylic paint is fast drying paint containing pigment suspension in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry. Depending on how much the paint is diluted (with water) or modified with acrylic gels, media, or pastes, the finished acrylic painting can resemble a watercolor or an oil painting, or have its own unique characteristics not attainable with other media. 64 Colors is an artist duo made up of Laura and Eric, known for their whimsical, colorful, and highly detailed designer toys, illustrations, and character designs. Their work blends elements of Japanese pop culture, vintage Americana, and street art, creating a signature aesthetic that is both nostalgic and modern. Their most iconic creation is Marshall, a cute marshmallow-like character with a mischievous yet lovable personality and it work often features soft, rounded shapes, intricate patterns, and dreamlike color palettes, evoking a sense of nostalgia and wonder. In addition to toys, 64 Colors has worked on illustrations, prints, apparel, and branding projects, bringing their signature art style to various mediums. Their work has gained a strong following in the designer toy and pop art communities, appealing to collectors who love quirky, nostalgic, and highly stylized characters