Onyx Mean-ie Mouse

Self-produced art toys are designer collectibles created and manufactured independently by the artist or small teams without the backing of a large toy company or mass-market brand. These toys are often highly personal, artistic expressions and are usually made in limited runs. Key Characteristics include independent creation where the artist is in control of the entire process from concept, sculpting, and painting to production and packaging. These are usually made in small batches, often 10–100 pieces, which adds to their rarity, made using materials like resin, sofubi (Japanese soft vinyl), or 3D-printed components. Fidia begins his career as graphic designer, illustrator and photographer, and has since 1995 collaborated with many well-known brands. Yet after turning 30, feeling uneasy with commercial business communication, his career has overturned, Fidia was “kidnapped” by the world of contemporary art, which he found to be the ideal way to express and portray his feelings to the outside world. He studied in Florence at the Academy of Art (Accademia di Belle Arti), and only 5 years later he started to move in his personal way within the circles of contemporary art, creating a profound dialogue with society, whilst trying to give a voice to his personal fears. Through this, Fidia found the right path to transform his thoughts into something independent of himself. Fidia’s world is a kind of surrealistic society made up of bizarre iconic characters, shown in different contexts and lit up by special “floodlights”. Playing with this pop-ular language, and toying with the (sometimes) frightful actuality, he tries to give a different meaning to what is happening around us. His personal “art journey” started in his youth with street art continues to this present day, with experimentation in galleries, foundations and museums all over the world,