Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Touma! Touma! Touma! at Mixi Bang!


Touma and Me
Originally uploaded by kardinalsin.

Here I am with a most prolific Japanese toy designer, Touma. The event, Touma's First American solo exhibition at Mixi Bang in Pasadena. We were fortunate enough to have a place in line via a connection and were thus able to wait outside for only a short while before being able to meet he man himself.

Not being very comfortable with his own English, he was naturally quiet, but still took the time to greet every customer and sign/sketch every one of his own toys. The time he took to do is evident in the toys he designs. Their simple shapes are painstakingly thoughtful, engaging, and unique enough to make them terrifyingly popular. Myself being a fan, how could I resist taking a picture.

More below...

2 comments:

camille said...

i was wondering who that guy was...i thought he's a new friend or something.

Mark said...

Touma's my new best bud. I even got qa chance to say "Arigato" after he finished up the sketches.

Maybe they got some of his toys at Rotofugi?