Cosmic Girl (Balancing)

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. Okokume, Laura Mas Hernandez alter ego, is an illustrating artist from Mataró (Barcelona). Since she was very young, she has covered a wide range of artistic techniques, as oil, coal or mud among other materials. ​ She is considered herself part of the Lowbrow movement (surrealist pop) and films as Studio Ghibli (Hayao Miyazaki) have helped her to find an affinity to the naïf art style. Okokume has been influenced by other films as Akira (Katsuhiro Ôtomo), creating unconsciously characters with great similarities to the “elder kids” in the film. Turquoise faces with whitish hair along with bodies in decomposition. According to the artist, bodies reach their immortality in a natural process: the passage to death. The work of many artists like Tara McPherson, Yoskay Yamamoto and Tomer Hanuka, have inspired her to find the way to her current style. ​ Okokume works particularly with acrylic paints but she always plays with mixed techniques. She likes to experiment with all kind of materials that arrives to her hands and she could be called self-taught because she puts into practice everything she discovers. Her work is captured on various platforms, such as art toys, sculptures, paintings, sheets, wood, walls and others.