Colonia

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. 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. In my heart, I am an artist who is compelled to tell a story. The storyline will often become apparent only once I have begun developing an image. But there are common themes throughout the images. These themes include the use or misuse of power, the human environment, and love. The theme of love and romance is a common subject in my art. As long as I can remember, I have wanted to live with someone whose heart compliments my passion for romance. I find it wonderful that my partner feels this way too. Power and the exploitation of the defenseless are also frequent themes in my stories. As a survivor of child abuse, I am haunted by the circumstances that create monstrous abuses of power. I also regularly use the image of blood in my art. It usually represents grief or a life force. Sometimes both. I think about the planet and the way our civilization uses its resources. This concern is exhibited in my art through images of wilderness, cityscapes, progress, nature, and technology. I hope humans will learn from the mistakes resulting from the industrial era, and I look forward to the advances of technology in light of learning from