Above Left: Mitchell Egly, City Net, 11x14 inches, Mixed Media on Paper, $450 (Framed)
Above Right: Kinsey Jenkins, Trial, 11x14 inches, Digital Print on Paper A/P, $100 (Framed)

Works by the Society of Illustrators Chicago
May 10-June 2, 2013

Opening Reception
Friday, March 10, 2013, 7-10PM

Tomorrow night in the gallery we open A New Narrative: Works by the Society of Illustrators Chicago. This juried exhibition features SOIC members, students, faculty and alumni from the Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago exploring current trends in illustration. Join us in supporting our local art community, educators and illustrators!

If you can't make the opening, the exhibit will be on view in the gallery through Sunday, June 2, plus we'll be having a closing reception that evening, 5-7pm. And, as with most of our exhibits, works will be available for purchase first through our preview list (sign up here). Thanks!

Squadt Assembly is a pop-up store and exhibit by Playge (Ferg x Threezero) hosted at Rotofugi Gallery in Chicago - April 5-28, 2013. Attendees will be able to choose from a library of limited edition parts, clothing and accessories designed by FERG and manufactured by Threezero exclusively for this show to build their own custom Squadt figure. A range of Squadt related merchandise, prints and other goodies will also be available.

For more details please see our Squadt Assembly site. Thanks!

Our good friend, and Rotofugi Gallery Curator, David van Alphen has an alter ego. No, he's not a super hero (though he's a damn good curator and makes a mean pickle)....he's also an artist under the moniker Netherland.

This Friday he opens a new exhibit in our gallery called In Color. David's vibrant collage and acrylic creations, coated in a high gloss clear resin, are a perfect throwback to the rockin' seventies. The exhibit opens this Friday, March 8, 7-10pm and will be on display through March 27. Sign up for our Gallery Previews email list for early access (preview email is sent out at 10am Central Time the day of the opening). Thanks!

Join us the evening of Friday, February 8, 7-10pm for the opening of Divorced From Heaven, a new exhibit of works by internationally-known artist Derek Hess...Derek will be in attendance to meet and greet fans, plus we'll have music by DJ Sean Doe and snacks by Sweet Myrtille.

As with most of our exhibits, works will be available to purchase first through our Gallery Previews email list...sign up here if you're interested in receiving the preview link on Friday morning.

The exhibit continues through March 3, 2013.

In conjunction with the exhibit, Derek will be debuting a new print exclusive to our gallery, da suicide note. Produced in an edition of 50 prints on vintage sheet music (10x5 x 13.5 inches, approximate)…each print is unique and priced at $100. Prints will be available in-person only at the gallery beginning Friday, February 8, but if you can not attend the opening please email rotofugi@rotofugi.com to be placed on a wait list to purchase a copy if any remain after the opening. Thanks!

Up next in the gallery we've got shows by two talented Chicago-based artists!

Dan Grzeca (pronounced 'Jetsah' FYI) is well-known in Chicago and worldwide for his amazing painterly-style screen prints and gig posters. He'll be presenting Little Creatures, a new exhibit of fantastical paintings in his trademark style.

Adam DeVarney is a recent Chicago transplant from Vermont. Adam's work is a combination of illustration, hand-colored paper and found imagery with a strong street-art influence. Adam will be presenting a new series of works titled Until You Were Gone.

Both exhibits open Friday, January 11, 7-10pm in our gallery. Join us for snacks and sodas plus music by the talented DJ Carrie Weston. As with most of our exhibits, works will be available to purchase first via our preview list...you can sign up here if you're not already on the list!

If you can't make the opening, both exhibits will be on display in the gallery through February 3. Thanks!

The above image pretty much says it all...Shag will be back at Rotofugi for a new show called Goin' Places opening Friday, December 7, 7-10pm!

Josh (Shag) will be at the opening and signing for fans from 7-8pm, plus we'll have snacks by Sweet Myrtille and beats by DJ Sean Doe.

The exhibit will feature new paintings plus an extensive selection of Shag AP prints and, yes, the release (most likely via pre-order) of a new Shag toy produced by Squibbles Ink + Rotofugi...more details on that to come soon.

If you can't make the opening the show will be on display through January 6, 2013...and, as always, members of our Gallery Previews List will get first opportunity to purchase new works (but not the toy) so sign up now if you're not already on the list. Thanks!

Our new exhibit by Mark Landwehr and Sven Waschk [coarse] is now viewable on our gallery website here: souls gone mad. Shown above are "the void" fiberglass bust set, priced at $1280, and available in an edition of 30 sets.

If that's not in your budget, or you missed out on the 'dark sorrows' resin figure, we've just put up a great 'dark sorrows' oversize offset lithograph poster ($20) in the online store, along with three other coarse posters ($16 each) we have in smaller quantities. Check it out!

This past Saturday evening we opened a wonderful new exhibit in the gallery, souls gone mad, by Mark Landwehr & Sven Waschk [coarse].

In conjunction with the exhibit coarse have debuted a new resin figure called dark sorrows. This beautiful solid resin figure stands 9.5 inches [23.5 cm] tall, comes packaged in a silk-screened wooden box and is a limited edition of 100 pieces. The pre-order* price is $680 plus shipping and the figures are estimated to be delivered in February/March 2013.

Due to high demand for this release we are conducting a lottery for the pre-order. We will be accepting entries through Friday, November 9 at 12 Noon Central Time.

To enter your name in the lottery please click here and complete the form. Limit one entry per customer/household.

Scroll down and/or hit the "more" link below to see additional photos. Thanks!

* Please note that estimates given are based on information provided by the artist and are subject to change but we will keep you up to date on any changes to the schedule.

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First and foremost, I would like to thank Mark Landwehr, Sven Waschk and coarse team members Chi Ip Man and Rudi Hahn for all of their hard work over the last several days, weeks and months. The coarse exhibit in our gallery, souls gone mad, is one of the highlights of our history as a gallery.

Also, a quick thank you to everyone who attended Saturday night's opening reception, especially those who travelled from out of the state and in some cases, out of the country, to be here. We had a wonderful time!

As many of you reading this probably know, a new exclusive resin figure, Dark Sorrows, was released for pre-order at the opening reception. I'm sure you're wondering just *when* we will be making the figure available to those that could not attend the opening or visit our gallery in person. We will be conducting a lottery for the remaining pre-orders; details and instructions for entering the lottery will be posted on our website no later than Wednesday, November 7, but until then, the only way to purchase a pre-order is to visit our gallery in Chicago in person and place the pre-order. In fact, we will stop taking pre-orders at the gallery at the end of business (7pm) tomorrow, Tuesday, November 6, and the remaining pieces will be reserved for the lottery. Stay tuned.

In addition to the Dark Sorrows release, the exhibit features a multitude of new 'coarse originals' sculpts and photographs by Mark and Sven. We are in the process of preparing photographs (you should see the photo studio that Mark assembled in our basement just for this!) and the online listing so that buyers outside the Chicago area can view and purchase these pieces. We expect to be able to finish the online listing by this Wednesday the end of the week at the latest. Those that are signed up for our Gallery Previews email list will get the first notice as soon as the listing is available, so if you have any interest, make sure you are signed up here.

Thanks for your patience!

We are extremely excited to have our good friends Mark Landwehr & Sven Waschk of coarse return for a new exhibit in our gallery, opening Saturday, November 3, 7-10pm.

Souls Gone Mad will feature new sculptures and photographs by the multi-disciplinary artists in their third ground-breaking exhibit at Rotofugi Gallery.

The exhibit continues through December 2, 2012.

UPDATE: There will NOT be a preview for this exhibit as we expect setup to continue well into Saturday. Attendees of the opening reception will have first opportunity to purchase the exhibit pieces...after that we'll begin prepping the "preview" and preview list members (sign up here) will have the first chance to purchase pieces from afar, likely sometime early next week.

We're starting to get super excited about the show we're busy prepping for right now....our friends The Beast Brothers have pulled out the stops and created an awesome Lucha Libre themed show! About 50% of the pieces will be Beast Brothers work, the remainder will be by a great selection of special guests including Angry Woebots, Brandt Peters and Kathie Olivas, BurunDANGA, Chris Ryniak, Eric Merrill, Huck Gee, J*RYU, Jime Litwalk, Joe Capobianco, J*RYU, Junko Mizuno, Kronk, Michael Motorcycle, Patrick Cornolo, Phil Young, Sara Antoinette Martin, Scribe & Alisa, Shane Jessup, Shawnimals, Sket One, Sourbones, Tado & Tim Tsui.

The opening will be this Friday, October 5, 7-10pm and the Beast Brothers will be in attendance to sign and chat with fans!

UPDATE: This exhibit is now viewable on our gallery website too!

Explore the WILD KINGDOM with San Francisco-based artist Jeremy Fish in a new mini-exhibit, opening Saturday, September 22. 

The opening reception for this mini-exhibit will be 6-9PM and Jeremy will be signing for fans 6-8pm. We'll have free snacks from Sweet Myrtille too, while they last!

There will not be a Gallery Preview for this mini-exhibit, but members of the preview list will have the first opportunity to purchase works from afar (early in the week following the opening), so if you can't make it the gallery, be sure to sign up for the list. Thanks!

This past Friday marked the opening of two new exhibits in our gallery by Luke Chueh & J★RYU (Jesse Yu).

Luke's I Am Your Plaything features a broad selection of toy-related paintings as well as a few non-toy-themed pieces and a couple great 3d pieces. In particular, we're enamored with Luke's Full of Shit Russian nesting dolls (shown above)...a wonderful, if somewhat self-deprecating, self-portrait if we've ever seen one. 

For his first solo exhibit, The Ghost of You Haunted Me…, J★RYU came out guns blazing, featuring a large selection of beautifully-sculpted originals and a very cool resin edition of Saplings. The recurrent ghost theme and naturalesque elements, expertly crafted, almost have to be seen in person to fully appreciate the wonderful amount of details.

Our friends at Clutter Magazine have a couple great interviews with both artists here (Luke) and here (J★RYU) if you want a little more insight to both artists.

Both exhibits continue in our gallery through September 30, and are also viewable online on our gallery website.

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This past Friday we opened new exhibits by both Amanda Visell and Michelle Valigura. Whether you're into Amanda's awesome paintings or Michelle's fantastic ceramics, we've got something affordable for you. On display in our gallery through September 2, 2012 or check it out online and let us know if you see something you can't live without. Thanks!

The gallery has perhaps never been more packed with amazing art.

Tonight we celebrate the opening of two new exhibits: Wolves Tails Crossed Arrows and Canoes by Jesse Reno (second image above) and Sutured and Untamed by David Ball (top image above). While quite dissimilar in execution, we feel that the two shows compliment each other well…the works by both artists reward repeat viewing and searching for details yet unseen while exploring surreal worlds, symbols and imagery.

Join us this evening, Friday, June 29, 7-10pm, for the opening reception for both new exhibits. We'll have the usual snacks (amazing pastries by Sweet Myrtille) and sodas plus music by DJ Sean Doe. Both David and Jesse have flown into town for the opening, so come out and say hi!

If you have any interest in purchasing works by either artist, our Gallery Previews Email goes out at 10am Central today. Sign up here.

We've got a newly created Youtube Channel for the gallery now... and our very first video is a cool teaser that artist David Ball created for his upcoming exhibit (opening June 29). Check it out!

Also opening June 29 is Jesse Reno's Wolves Tails Crossed Arrows and Canoes exhibit. The painting above, Unicorn of the Sea, is one of our favorites in an exhibit packed with good stuff.

If you've got any interest in purchasing work from either exhibit please sign up for our Gallery Previews Email list to get first opportunity to purchase works in this upcoming exhibit. Thanks!

Top: David Ball, Below: Jesse Reno

We're excited to announce we've lined up two great artists for next month's gallery schedule.

San Francisco-based painter and collage artist David Ball will be showing some amazingly surreal works in an exhibit titled Sutured and Untamed. David's works are masterfully layered compositions screaming with color.

Portland-based Jesse Reno is self-taught mixed media painter. Jesse will share his world of symbolism and beautifully chaotic works in Wolves Tails Crossed Arrows and Canoes.

Both exhibits open June 29, 7-10pm and both David and Jesse will be in attendance. Don't forget to sign up for our Gallery Previews email list if you have any interest in either artists' works. Thanks!

Finally, if you haven't already, be sure to check out our current exhibits with Josh Herbolsheimer and Martin Ontiveros...some great stuff still available!

Due to unforeseen personal issues we, along with coarse, have made the difficult decision to move their upcoming exhibit scheduled to open on June 30, to a November 3 opening. We're sorry for the inconvenience but we hope you are understanding of a change that was necessary to guarantee a great exhibit for coarse collectors.

UPDATE: Both exhibits are now viewable on our online gallery site. Thanks to everyone who came out and made Friday night a great opening!

We'd love to see you at tonight's opening reception (Friday, June 1, 7-10pm) for new exhibits by Martin Ontiveros and Josh Herbolsheimer. There will be free sodas, snacks by Sweet Myrtille and music by DJ Crotchbat. Both Martin and Josh will be in attendance to chat with attendees.

Sure, the greeting card companies want you to think February is the month to get your significant other something heart-shaped, but the wise folks know that it's ALWAYS a good time to give a gift to your sweety! This month's gallery exhibit, featuring the artwork of Chris Uphues, is full of hearts and whimsy. Check it out here and let us know if anything interests you. This exhibit ends May 27.

After all the sweetness, we figured something a little grittier might be good for June. We'll be featuring the psychadelic paintings of San Fransisco-based Joshua Herbolsheimer and the blacklight awesomeness of Portland-based Martin Ontiveros. Mark your calendars now for the June 1 opening (7-10pm) and be sure to sign up for our previews list if you have interest in purchasing art by either of these fine gentlemen.

UPDATE: This exhibit is now also viewable online here. Have a look!

Our next gallery exhibit is with Brooklyn-based Chris Uphues. We first became familiar with Chris' work when he was still a resident of our fair city and had an exhibit at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. We immediately fell for his intense graphic style and were lucky enough to have him participate in one of our group exhibits a few years ago. Now we're going to be showing the whole enchilada!

Sunshine Daze will open Friday, May 4, 7-10PM with free snacks and sodas, plus music by DJ Crotchbat. Chris will be in attendance. As with most of our exhibits, sign up for our Gallery Previews email list if you have interest in purchasing work from this exhibit.

Also, FYI, this is the final weekend to view our exhibit with the talented Dave Dorman. If you can, the paintings are very much worth seeing in person. Have a great weekend!

This past Friday we kicked off a new mini exhibit of original pieces by Cleveland-based artist Derek Hess. The exhibit pieces now available for viewing (and purchasing) via our gallery website. Also, FYI, we've got copies of Derek's Black Line White Lie softcover book also available via our online store. Thanks!

UPDATE: The works from this exhibit are now viewable online, here. In addition, we'll be hosting a signing with Dave Dorman this coming Friday, April 13, from 7:30pm until 9:00pm. 

We're excited and honored to have Eisner and Inkpot award-winning artist Dave Dorman as the next artist who will be showing in our gallery.

Dave's PI a la Mode exhibit will feature a combination of new works loosely themed around all things tentacled, along with an assortment of older works from Dave's career as a comic-book artist and professional illustrator. Dave's worked for almost every major publisher in the business across a range of titles and genres, but might best be known for his work on various Star Wars books which led him to be voted as the "Best Star Wars Artist" by readers of The Official Best of Star Wars Magazine.

The exhibit opening will be this Friday, April 6, 7-10pm. As with most of our exhibits, if you're interested in potentially purchasing a piece from the exhibit please make sure you are signed up for our Gallery Previews email list. The preview will be emailed out at 10am on Friday, and we will begin accepting requests to purchase (via email) at 12 Noon that same day. Thanks!

Update: This show is now up (through April 1, 2012) and also viewable online here. Please email or call if you have any questions or want to make a purchase. Thanks!

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One of our favorite painters, heck, favorite people, is showing next in the gallery. Ken Keirns is a California-based painter whose big-headed women and monkeys have stolen our hearts. Formerly of Chicago, we've shown Ken's work on three prior occasions, with each show being a sell out or near sell out. Above is Ken's Ro Sham Bo painting, more sneak peeks after the jump.

His newest exhibit, Quietly, opens Friday, March 9th from 7pm until 10pm.  If you're interested in Ken's work, please make sure you're signed up for our Gallery Previews email list. The exhibit continues through April 1.

While we've got your attention...if you haven't already checked out the new works by Steve Seeley and Jeremy Tinder currently in the gallery (through March 4), now's the time! This is the final weekend to see these two shows in the gallery, though you can always check them out online.

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We've just wrapped up a fantastic opening for new exhibits by Netherland and strawberryluna in the gallery, and all of the pieces are now available for online viewing now too. If you see anything you'd like to grab, just drop us an email and we'll take care of you.

Thanks to everyone who came out tonight and of course, super thanks to David "Netherland" van Alphen and Allison and Craig (strawberryluna) for two fantastic shows.

There's a few more photos from the opening after the jump. Thanks!

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We've got two new shows opening up in the gallery this Friday, January 13 (good thing we're not superstitious), 7-10PM.

First up....strawberryluna! We've been watching and loving the work of these talented artists/printmakers (strawberryluna is husband-and-wife duo Allison and Craig) from Pittsburgh for years and are excited to have a show with them. They've created a dizzying set of beautiful one-off "test prints" plus two new editioned art prints for this exhibit.

We'll also be hosting an all new set of works by Chicago-based Netherland (aka David van Alphen, who happens to also be our gallery curator). David's retro/70's collage and paint work is always clean, cool and shiny and he'll be showing a BUNCH of new original works, plus "gig posters" created for the show by six *other* artists! Good stuff.

As always, be sure to sign up for our gallery previews email list if you think you'd be interested in purchasing works from either exhibit. The preview emails go out at 10am central time Friday and we begin taking purchase requests at noon that same day. Thanks!

Autumn Call, Ink and Wash on Paper, by LiLJAPAN

One of the things I love about group shows is the variety of styles and techniques. Rising Tide 2, curated by our friend LiLJAPAN (Hiro Hayashi) features the work of Japanese and Japanese-American artists and it's got everything from traditional ink and brush paintings, to papercraft, photography and plush toys. Check it out and let us know if anything strikes your fancy!

For the entire month of December save 20% off the original price on select works from previous Rotofugi Gallery exhibits!

We've got paintings, prints, etc. by Aesthetic Apparatus, Andrew Bell, Harley & Boss (Nathan Jurevicius and Andrea Kang), Jay Ryan, Jeremy Tinder, Little Friends of Printmaking, Mark Brown, Martin Hsu, Steve Seeley, TADO and Travis Lampe...all marked down for this special sale.

Give the gift of art (or treat yourself) this year!

The next exhibit in our gallery is a wonderful group exhibit of new works by Japanese and Japanese-American artists curated by our friend LiLJAPAN (Hiro Hiyashi). 

The Rising Tide 2 will open December 9, 2011 and run through January 8, 2012. The featured artists for this exhibit are LiLJAPAN, Skulltoys, Mark Nagata, Shun Nakatsuru, Chanmen, Mike Oshite, Uamou, Aya (Refreshment), Ilanena and Nao & Shin Tanaka. 

If you are interested in purchasing works from this exhibit when available, please be sure to sign up for our Gallery Previews Email List. Thanks!

Just a quick heads up that our two new exhibits by Jeremiah Ketner (top image) and Shannon Bonatakis (bottom image) are now on our gallery website. Have a look and drop us an email if you're interested in adding new work from either of these talented painters to your collection. Thanks to both Shannon and Jeremiah for delivering wonderful work to grace our gallery walls, now through December 4.

This Friday, November 11, we'll be holding the opening reception for two new exhibits in our gallery!

The slightly mysterious world of Chicago-based artist Jeremiah Ketner will once again grace our gallery walls for a new exhibit entitled "Lucky Encounter." We've been fortunate enough to exhibit Jeremiah's Japanese-inspired paintings featuring beautiful women and sprite-like creatures on several previous occasions, which has only served to want us to do even more with this talented painter.

The highly stylized and emotionally charged portraits of Shannon Bonatakis hooked us the first time we laid eyes on one. We're thrilled to be presenting the newest works of the Denver-based painter in a new exhibit entitled "I Still Feel You."

PLEASE NOTE: Some imagery in this exhibit may not be appropriate for younger viewers.

The opening will be this Friday, 7-10pm. We'll have snacks by Fritz Pastry, music by DJ Sean Doe and both Jeremiah and Shannon will be in attendance.

If you're interested in purchasing artwork by either artist, please be sure to sign up for our Gallery Previews email list. We send out a link to view the works at 10am (Central Time) on the morning of the exhibit and start taking requests to purchase vie email at 12 Noon that same day. Thanks!

This past Friday we held the opening of a mini-exhibit of drawings by Gary Baseman, along with a signing celebrating the release of Toby's Secret Society, a new set of mini-figures designed by Gary for Kidrobot.

Gary is one of those artists whose appeal crosses over from children's art, to toys, illustration and fine art with seeming ease. For this mini-exhibit he did eight new colored pencil drawings on vintage book pages to be exhibited alongside seven older Toby drawings originally shown at Pictoplasma in Berlin, 2006. View the exhibit online here and email us if you have any interest in purchasing a drawing.

Thanks to Gary, Toby and everyone who came out and made it a wonderful evening. Be sure to stop by the store and see the drawings in person if you can, the mini-exhibit continues through November 27.

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This past Friday we opened There is  a Wanderlust Growing in Your Bones, a new exhibit by New England-based artist Daniel Danger.

You'd never get me to say the works are better than anything we've exhibited before, but this is probably one of most fully realized exhibits we've worked with an artist on. Daniel's haunting artwork, combined with a display of the paper lanterns that we created with Daniel and some mood lighting have made this one of the overall prettiest exhibits we've ever mounted. Do yourself a favor and come by the gallery in the evening sometime if you can to fully experience the show.

If you're seeking work from the exhibit, you can see everything that is available on our gallery site here. As I write this, there is one original painting left as well as a few large hand-tinted screenprints, which feature a combination screenprinted black artwork and watercolor shading done by Daniel himself. Beautiful stuff.

As for the paper lanterns, those will be available via our online store here. At the moment we are out of the paper lanterns, but we'll have more in the not-too-distant future. We had to airfreight in a portion of the total run for the opening, but the remainder of the lanterns are on the proverbial slow boat from China.

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October couldn't be a better time for a Daniel Danger show. Working on themes of memory and ghosts, forgotten spaces and the strangeness of daily life, Daniel's work consistently evokes a mood that fits right in with the changing seasons.

Daniel brings a new exhbit titled "There is a Wanderlust Growing in Your Bones" to our gallery, opening Friday, October 14, 7-10pm. Come out to to the opening and meet Daniel, enjoy snacks by Fritz Pastry and music provided by DJ Carrie Weston.

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A fan at the New Haven stop shows the ultimate Tokidoki love with a Unicornos Tattoo!

Our good friend Nichole East (aka The Baroness) at Hope Gallery organized this amazing traveling exhibit and we JUMPED at the chance to be involved. Quick and Painful combines two of our favorite things: amazing art and tattoos, and it all goes down at Rotofugi Gallery on Saturday, October 8, 7-11pm!

The exhibit features tattoo inspired prints (aka "flash") by some amazing popular lowbrow and pop artists like Alex Pardee, Amanda Visell, Brandt Peters, Camilla D’Errico, David Horvath, Devilrobots, Frank Kozik, Greg “Craola” Simkins, Huck Gee, Joe Ledbetter, Junko Mizuno, Kathie Olivas, Pete Fowler, Ron English, Sam Flores, TADO, Tara McPherson, and Tokidoki co-founder and Creative Director Simone Legno.

The limited edition prints will be available for sale at the show ($25-$100)...but here's the real cool part: fans can select pieces from the prints to get tattooed on them that night by a professional tattoo artist! The tattoos will be only $40 each (cash only to be tattooed, so hit up the ATM!). I don't know if I need to tell you this, but $40 for a tattoo by any of the artists lined up for the evening is a bargain.

Should you choose, you'll be able to get inked by the likes of Joe Capobianco (Hope Gallery Tattoo), Patrick Cornollo, Jennifer Trok, Heath Rave, and Sean Adams (all of Chicago's fabulous Speakeasy Custom Tattoo). Of course, you're more than welcome to come out for the exhibit and view the art or buy prints, but not get a tattoo. ;)  

We'll also have music by DJ Sean Doe, free sodas and water plus snacks by Fritz Pastry too!

Need another reason to come out? How about an awesome Rotufugi Exclusive print by none other than hometown favorites Shawnimals! Limited to just 25 prints and priced at just $25!

* If you can't make it out for the main event Saturday night, we'll still have the prints up in the gallery and available for sale all day on Sunday, October 9 as well....but after that the show moves on to it's next stop in Miami! 

More information about Quick and Painful can be found on the exhibit blog, here.

It's been a full week since we had the opening for Toy Karma 3 in the gallery and I want to just take a moment to recognize those that were instrumental in pulling off this wonderful exhibit.

First and foremost, co-curators Mark Nagata and Yo Miyamoto of Max Toy Company deserve more praise than I can possibly put into words. Toy Karma as an exhibit was Mark's concept in 2007 when we did Toy Karma 1, and he continues to steward not only this exhibit, but the appreciation of neo-kaiju as a whole. As the Japanese arm of Max Toy Company, Yo Miyamoto has not only helped develop the quality and beauty of Max Toy Company figures, he has been instrumental in bringing new Japanese neo-kaiju makers into the fold. For Mark's wonderful recap on Toy Karma 3, please visit his blog here.

Second, and certainly not any less important, are the artists who are making neo-kaiju a thriving scene in both Japan and the United States and beyond. There are way too many to list here, but each and every artist who participated helped make TK3 something wonderful for it's third installment. To see a full list of participating artists, view our Toy Karma 3 exhibit blog.

Also a major thank you is due to Monster Worship, Rumble Monsters, Zollmen, Plaseebo, Max Toy Company and Real Head for providing wonderful exclusive toy releases to help celebrate the opening.

Finally, not to be overlooked, our staff at the gallery like curator David van Alphen, and assistants Ed and Zach always go above and beyond to make sure our openings are ready on time. Thank you guys!

To view the exhibit, please click this link and send us an email if there is anything you're interested in purchasing. Thank you!

This Friday evening, August 5, 7-10pm, we'll be having an opening reception for our newest gallery exhibit featuring artwork by Harley & Boss (Nathan Jurevicius & Andrea Kang). If you're a toy collector, and let's face it, if you're looking at our website you probably are, you'll know Nathan as the fantastically talented creator of Scarygirl. And if you don't know Andrea, you should! Her wonderful, whimsical cut paper and ink creations are just the right antidote for a bleary day. This exhibit features not only collaborative pieces, but also solo works by both artists.

Both Nathan and Andrea will be attending the opening reception, so don't miss your chance to meet them! Plus we'll have sodas, snacks by Fritz Pastry and DJ Sean Doe spinning all night....a guaranteed sugar buzz and wonderful art and music!

As always, if you're interested in purchasing from this exhibit be sure to sign up for our Gallery Previews Email List. The preview is emailed out at 10am on Friday and we begin taking requests to purchase via email at Noon (Central Time). Thanks!

We had a great time at last night's opening for new exhibits by Aesthetic Apparatus (left) and The Little Friends of Printmaking (right), despite the fact that AA like to look mean in photos. Thanks to everyone who came out and made it a great evening, and of course, major kudos to both AA and LFOP for wonderful art and generally being awesome folks!

There's more opening photos after the jump....plus, all of the exhibit works are viewable on our gallery website now too, have a look and get in touch if you see anything you have to have!

PS....We'll be closed on Monday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day....have a wonderful weekend!

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The headline pretty much says it all....join us Friday, July 1, 7-10PM for the opening reception for two new exhibits in our gallery. We'll have new works up by both Aesthetic Apparatus and The Little Friends of Printmaking. OK, we might be overselling it a little bit, but both AA and LFOP are amazing, and the work they've done for their respective exhibits is awesome! As always, if you think you'll want to purchase art from either exhibit be sure to sign up for our Gallery Previews List. The preview email goes out Friday at 10AM!

Tonight (Thursday, June 16, 7-10PM) at Creative Lounge Chicago, Lethal Words is presenting Words That Kill: Return of the Geek. They were nice enough to ask us to provide some artwork for evening. So, in addition to their excellent lineup of literary, visual and performing arts, you'll be able to check out a selection of works by Tado, Jeremy Tinder, Travis Lampe, Netherland and Jon Knox from previous Rotofugi exhibits. It'll be a great evening of food, wine, art, juggling, nerdcore, comedy and more!

Entry is either a mere $5 or a canned good donation, so you really have no excuse not to go.... More Info Here

Our two newest exhibits by Ralph Cosentino and Martin Hsu are now online and available via our gallery website. Have a look and get in touch if anything strikes your fancy! Thanks!

If an original piece of artwork is out of your budget right now both Martin and Ralph have some wonderful prints available. 

We've got two new exhibits opening in our gallery this Friday, one featuring Kansas-based illustrator Ralph Cosentino (teaser image at top) and another by Martin Hsu (bottom image), who calls California home. We've been following both artists for the past several years and are proudt to have them both showing with us now.

Ralph's perhaps best known these days as the author and illustrator behind a wildly successfull line of kid's versions of the Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman stories, which have now been translated into seven languages! Go Ralph!

Martin has a long history in character design and animation including work for Disney and Nickelodeon, as well as being the creator of the popular Ruby Gloom character.

Both artists have a certain playful, child-like glee in their art that we find infectious, so we thought concurrent solo exhibits by these talented illustrators and character-designers was perfect!

The opening reception for both exhibits will be this Friday, May 27, 7-10PM. Both Ralph and Martin will be in attendance, plus we'll have snacks by Fritz Pastry, sodas by Goose Island and music by DJ Crotchbat. We'd love to see you there!

Finally....if you have any interest in buying work by either artist be sure to sign up for our Gallery Previews List. The emailed preview for both exhibits will go out at 10am Friday morning, and we begin taking online purchase requests at 12 Noon the same day. Thanks!

We now have the pieces from Jay Ryan's Trouble exhibit on the gallery website. While a majority of the pieces have sold, there are still a few really beautiful pieces left.

Even if you're not in the market for new art it's definitely worth a look...and be sure to read my "Gallery Director's Note" on that page....I don't think I've had an emotional reaction to art like I've had to this show, well, ever. 

Finally, thanks, of course to Jay, but also to Diana and Isabel....plus everyone who made it out to tonight's opening!

It's now Sunday morning, a little past 1:30 am, and I'm finally catching up with sending out payment links to everyone on our preview list who requested art from our new exhibits with Andrew Bell and McBess.

Normally, that sort of thing is done by Friday afternoon. We were overwhelmed with requests from fans of both artists to get some of the awesome things they created for their respective exhibits...and then had one hell of an opening reception (the plush pit was a hit...see photo), followed by a night out with both artists. Man, I'm pooped!

Major, major thank yous to Andrew and McBess (and the McBess travelling crew) for their hard work and for spending so much time signing for the fans last night. And equal amounts of praise and adulation for all the fans who came out and enjoyed a fantastic opening evening.

If you haven't stopped by the gallery, we humbly suggest it's worth the trip...but if you're too far away to make it, both exhibits are now viewable online and will be up in the gallery through April 17.

Our next exhibit, a solo exhibit by another one of our favorite artists...and people...in the world, Jay Ryan, opens April 22nd. Thanks!

 Tonight we open our gallery from 7-10PM for two new exhibits, one by Andrew Bell and one by McBess.

Both Andrew and McBess will be signing for fans from 7-8PM. 

DJ Sean Doe will be behind the decks all night long, and we'll have complimentary snacks by Fritz Pastry and sodas from Goose Island. And the Tamali Space Charro truck will be parked outside serving up delicious tamales (bring cash for that) so you don't even need to eat before heading over.

I know we always say this, but this is one opening I wouldn't miss! McBess has lots of great new art, and Andrew has a special treat for attendees called "The Horriible Squishy Pit of Cuddly Despair!" How could you miss that?

Last night's signing and opening reception for Stoner Fort: New Works by Frank Kozik was a great time. Thanks to everyone who came out and, of course, thanks to Frank!

All of the works available from the exhibit are now posted on our gallery website. Have a look and send us an email if anything piques your interest.

But we know that looking at flat images on the website can't quite begin to show the scale and subtlety of the pieces in this exhibit, so we've also snapped a few quick photos of the installation...enjoy!

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Up First…Kozik Opening / Signing TONIGHT...

Tonight might go down in Rotofugi history as one of *those* nights...there sure is enough going on to make sure it'll be a great evening if you venture out and give us a visit up on Lincoln Avenue.

First and foremost, the opening reception for Frank Kozik's new exhibit in our gallery, Stoner Fort, opens tonight, Friday, February 18, 7-10 PM ... and Frank will be doing a signing from 7-8PM. Plus, DJ Carrie Weston will be keeping the beat and we'll have snacks from Fritz Pastry. 

Like most of our exhibits, first chance to purchase works from the exhibit will go to our Gallery Previews email list (which will be sent out at 10am Central Time today)....sign up here if you haven't already!For more information about the exhibit and Frank, check out this show listing on our Rotofugi Gallery site. Thanks!

The exhibit continues through March 20.

Across the Street...

Second, our good friends at Delilah's (just across Lincoln Ave.) are also having an art opening. They'll be showing the latest work by noted Chicago painter & musician Jon Langford (The Mekons, The Waco Brothers +++).

Their opening also starts at 7pm and Jon will be in attendence.  This is their eighth(!) show with Jon. His work is extremely fun — sighting dark images of the American frontier, inspired by the memories of Country icons he admires. Come to our show, then pop across the street to see Jon's work and have a drink! 

Above artwork by Jon Langford, borrowed from Chicago Magazine.

If You Get Hungry...

And finally, we've arranged for the amazing Tamalli Space Charros SPACESHIP to be parked outside the gallery during tonight's opening if the tasty Fritz Pastry snacks aren't enough for you. Bring a little extra cash with you so you can support local food trucks and fill up on delicious tamales (along with a dose of 'stridentist' philosphy, sci-fi and mexican wrestling…for real).

We've got a page up now with all of the items from the recently opened "Beauty and the Kaiju" mini-exhibit. Check it out!

This mini-exhibit, curated by Mark Nagata of Max Toy Company, features 6 female Japanese artists doing their interpretations of Max Toy characters. There's some really nice work by Konatsu, Teresa, Tulip, Hiroe, JoBo;LuBo & Namiko Sonobe, plus some additional prints and figures by Mark too!

Above is an amazing customized Mini Drazoran by Konatsu. We're not 100% certain, but we believe she covered the figure in paper and then painted it with ink and watercolors. Really stunning! Sadly, it's reserved for a buyer already, but there is lots of other great stuff to check out, and if you like it, purchase. :)

Finally, be sure to scroll to the very bottom of the linked page to see some great hand painted Max Toy minis that Mark Nagata painted just for the exhibit. We've got just a few of each left (and have sold out of a couple already), so don't hesitate to send us an email if you're interested in getting one....if it is still available, we'll hit you back with a payment link. Thanks!

We've got two events coming up that should be pretty interesting!

First up is a mini-exhibit curated by Mark Nagata of Max Toy Company (view products). This mini exhibit (in our store space) pairs up six female Japanese artists for their take on the Max Toy Company characters like Eyezon, Drazorus, etc.

Each artist will feature an original piece of artwork plus a customized figure, and prints will be available too! Featuring art by Mark Nagata, Konatsu, Namiko Sonobe, Sachko Yabe, Hiroe, Jobolubo & Theresa Chiba (whose beautiful artwork is shown above).

Join us Saturday, February 12, 5-7PM for an informal opening reception. The exhibit will be on display until March 6.

Starting February 18, Frank Kozik will have a new exhibit in our gallery entitled "Stoner Fort." Their will be paintings, prints (on many different substrates) and if Frank has time to finish, some custom toys. We're not 100% sure what Star Wars has to do with the Stoner Fort theme, but who cares! 

The opening reception will be Friday, February 18, 7-10 PM ... and Frank will be doing a signing from 7-8PM that same night. The exhibit will be on display until March 20. 

Like most of our exhibits, first chance to purchase works from the exhibit will go to our Gallery Previews email list....sign up here if you haven't already!

For more information about the exhibit and Frank, check out this show listing on our Rotofugi Gallery site. Thanks!

First off, let's give it up for Ferg! His new exhibit in our gallery is really a great look into how to design a beautiful toy, and a testament to how much work the dude has put in over just a couple years on the Squadts.

We've got exhibit pieces on our gallery website here. That's just the "for sale" items, but we'll be adding photos of the entire Squadt retrospective over the coming week, so check back to see everything in it's full glory. All of the custom figures have sold, but there are some great prints available (on both canvas and paper) as I write this. We are getting really low on the red target print though, so if you want one, get that email request in!

Now...just a few words about the exclusive figure release that went down earlier this afternoon. I won't get into too many details, but I wish to express sincere apologies to anyone whose order had to be cancelled. We should have known that the combined power of Brandt Peters and Ferg would bring the madness. In hindsight, any online sale of that figure was crazy to attempt, and if we had it to do all over again we'd definitely do a lottery instead of an outright sale. Lesson learned.

OK, that's it for now...thanks to everyone who purchased art and toys, or just sent positive vibes our way!

The new gallery exhibit featuring art by Ferg and a retrospective of his Squadt figures opens tomorrow night TONIGHT, Friday, January 14, from 7 until 10pm. 

In anticipation of a potential line-up for exhibit pieces and the exclusive figure release, we will begin handing out line tickets at 11am the day of the opening. A line ticket will guarantee you an exclusive ($99) and your first choice of exhibit pieces, if you choose. While the exclusive will be limit one per customer, you may purchase additional exhibit pieces after everyone with a line ticket has made their selection.

Any remaining exclusives will go on sale on our online store on Saturday, January 15 at 2pm Central Time. Remaining exhibit pieces will be offered to our preview list members first, also on Saturday.

With the Gargamel exhibit just about at its end, it's time to start looking forward to our next gallery exhibit....and boy is this a good one!

Austin-based artist and toy designer Ferg is coming hard with Medium War: Squadt Show and Art by Ferg (click for more info). The show is going to feature a full retrospective of every Squadt figure released to date, plus a bunch of one-off custom figures by Ferg, prints and a few other surprises.

The above image is the show exclusive Squadt, a collaboration between Ferg and Brandt Peters called "Scram / No.45 - Got Away Clean Variant." It'll be an edition of 100 and will include a three-piece suit, dual chrome .45 pistols, a removable winged fedora and a helmet. Price is yet to be finalized, but we'll update that here as soon as we have it nailed down. The figure will be priced at $99.

The exclusive will be available for PRE-ORDER at the opening of the exhibit on Friday, January 14, 7-10PM. We will be doing line tickets again for this exhibit, so if you think you'll want either the exclusive or an exhibit piece, stop by the store that Friday beginning at 11am to get a ticket. Exclusives will be strictly limited to one per customer. If any figures remain after the opening, we'll sell the remaining pre-orders via our online store on Saturday, January 15 at 2PM. Delivery for the figure will be 5-6 weeks after the opening. Thanks!

Finally, just like with the Gargamel exhibit, the exhibit pieces in this show are available first to attendees, then our preview list members, then the general public. So, if you can't make the opening, be sure to sign up for the Preview List!

What you're looking at is ALL of the custom figures from our current exhibit by Gargamel, "Japanese Vinyl, Kaiju & Beyond." * 

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Gargamel for really pulling out all the stops and giving us a massive exhibit of beautifully painted figures. Special thanks goes to Kiyoka Ikeda and Koji Harmon for making the long trip from Japan for the opening. And of course, a massive thank you to all of the kaiju fans who came out for the opening, including two very brave souls from Florida who camped out overnight in a snow storm in front of the store to be sure to get their first pick of the exhibit pieces! 

* Not shown are a drawing by Sun-Min & David Horvath, and a painting by Bwana Spoons that are also in the exhibit. Be sure to check the exhibit page for those and larger photos of all the figures! 

First off...the exclusive toy releases for the Gargamel exhibit are now available via our online store here!

Exhibit pieces (customs like the one shown above) are a different story. As you probably know if you're a Gargamel fan, we decided for the new exhibit to allow attendees their first selection, then offer remaining pieces to members of our Preview List. Originally we planned for that post-opening "preview" to take place on Saturday (today) but because we had some issues getting all of the exhibit pieces to the gallery on time (thanks US Customs and Border Patrol!) we're a little behind getting that "preview" ready. 

We are now planning to send out the email to preview list members on Monday, December 13 at 10AM Central Time. We will start taking requests to reserve and purchase exhibit pieces via email only on that same day beginning at 12 Noon Central Time. Thanks for your patience! If you're not already on the preview list, you can sign up here!

Sometimes taking photos of toys for our store is a chore....but most of the time it is a blast. This custom Miborah painted by Naoya Ikeda of Gargamel for the exhibit opening in our gallery this coming Friday is definitely an example of a toy that is just plain FUN to take pictures of. Be sure to check out this post if you'll be attending and hoping to get a custom painted piece or show exclusive....thanks!

Click for Larger Image

OK...time to reveal exclusives for the upcoming Gargamel exhibit (opening reception December 10, 7-10PM) and lay the ground rules for exclusives and exhibit purchases. 

Exclusives

Exclusive Gargamel releases for this exhibit are Little Pocket Oozebat, Little Pocket Zagoran and Little Pocket Angel Bird in unpainted clear purple vinyl, Crouching Miborah (debut) in unpainted light blue vinyl and a full size Zagoran in light blue vinyl with purple accents. Exclusives will be limit one per customer during the opening reception. Little Pocket figures will be $10 each, the Crouching Miborah will be $25 and the full size Zagoran will be $100.

Important Sales/Preview Information

In a break from our normal Preview List procedure, attendees of the opening reception will have first choice of both exhibit pieces and exclusive releases, beginning at 7PM. We're expecting a line-up for the available pieces, so be prepared to come early! We'll begin handing out line tickets at 11AM the day of the opening.

Remaining exhibit pieces and exclusives will be posted and offered to our Preview List members on Saturday afternoon (December 11) as soon as we can (maybe as late as Monday), so if you can't attend, be sure to sign up for the Previews List just in case any exclusives or customs are still available after the opening. Thanks!

Update: Added more exclusive images and a few sneak peaks of exhibit pieces after the jump! 

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We've always got a lot going on here at Rotofugi, and the coming week and the following weekend is no exception.

First off, this weekend is the final chance to view the Tado exhibit in our gallery. Tado have created some great comic inspired prints (all editions of one, so basically originals) along with some fantastic small paintings. Definitely worth checking out in person if you can, but if not you can always view them on our website.

Next Friday is the opening of Japanese Vinyl, Kaiju & Beyond by Gargamel (plus some friends like Skinner and Le Merde who contributed pieces). We've been big, big fans of Gargamel's vinyl figures and art for several years, so it's particularly gratifying for us to be able to host an exhibit of their work. The opening reception will be held Friday, December 10, 7-10pm. Gargamel lead designer Kiyoka Ikeda will be in attendance along with friend-of-Gargamel Koji Harmon (Cometdebris). There will be some exclusive Gargamel releases too, so be sure to come early! Stay tuned, we'll be showing off the exclusive releases real soon. ;)

Finally, next Saturday (Dec 11) is the opening of The Land of Misfit Toys at Royal Flesh Tattoo Gallery in Chicago. We donated an awesome DIY Prize Pack that will be raffled off at the opening so, if you can, go to the opening, check out the awesome customs and enter the raffle!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again…Rotofugi Loves TADO.

Mike and Katie have produced a wonderful set of work for their new exhibit in our gallery (view here). And last night's opening and signing was fantastic...with Mike and Katie signing and drawing for fans WAY past the allotted 7-8pm scheduled signing period. Extra thanks are in order to Nichole (Baroness) and  Carlos (Beast Brothers) for taking great care of M+K on their cross-country US tour that led up to the opening reception. And of course, thanks to everyone who came out to last night's opening and made it a great time. 

If you've been paying attention to the pre-show runup for this exhibit you probably know that we have the first 10 (of 50) resin Piggaphunt figures by TADO for sale in the gallery. Right now they are only available for purchase by attending the exhibit in person, but if any remain we'll be making them available to order for our online customers in the coming week. Same goes for the Micro-Phunt Charms that also made their debut last night! Thanks for your patience and understanding.

The next opening in our gallery is Friday, December 10 with a new show by Japanese artist/toymakers Gargamel plus a cast of their friends. It should be amazing!

This weekend is the final weekend for our exhibits by Carlos Ramos and Mark Brown...which means we're busily preparing for the next show. The fabulous duo known as Tado will be taking over our entire gallery for a month! Mike and Katie (Tado) have prepared a great exhibit full of handmade figures, one-off framed prints, paintings and even a special pre-release of their new resin Piggaphunts and Piggaphunt phone charms.

Opening night is Friday, November 12, 7-10PM. Mike and Katie will be in attendance and signing for fans from 7pm until 8pm, so be sure to come early if you can!

Hit the More button below for sneak peaks after the jump!

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We've got two fantastic new shows opening in our gallery on Friday, October 15th... Bowie by Carlos Ramos features paintings of all of the various personas that David Bowie has made famous over the years and Then Came the Shadows by Mark Brown will set the mood just right for All Hallow's Eve!

We hope to see you at the opening reception (Friday, 7-10PM) for snacks, sodas and music by DJ Genghis Won. Both Mark and Carlos will be in attendance to chat with fans. Thanks!

As always, sign up for the Gallery Previews List if you think you might want to purchase something, or just want a sneak peek. 

We've got two new exhibits up in the gallery now with the opening reception tonight, Friday, September 17, 7-10PM. Join us for solo exhibits by James Marshall (aka Dalek) and Steve Seeley, plus music by DJ Sean Doe and snacks by Fritz Pastry. Both James and Steve will be at the gallery to chat with fans...hope to see you there too!

And if you're a Dalek fan and near Chicago, also be sure to check out the opening tomorrow night at the Nike x Saint Alfred joint Six Points and get your own custom printed Dalek wear (more info here at Freshness). We'll be there too!

That should have got your attention! ;)

In case you've missed all the announcements, banners, tweets, etc....we've moved our store and gallery to 2780 N Lincoln Avenue here in Chicago. Our new larger store and gallery space will be open for business starting this Friday evening, 7-10pm for the opening of Playboy Redux. Hope to see you there!

After the opening, our normal store hours will be 11am-7pm, seven days a week.

Shown Above...a new painting by the amazing Glenn Barr for the Playboy exhibit!

On Friday, July 16 (7-10 PM) we'll have new photography, sculpture and paintings by Coarse (who call both Germany and Hong Kong home) in our gallery. Coarse artists Mark Landwehr, Sven Waschk and Chrissi Jülich have really gone above and beyond to prepare a world-class exhibit that we are extremely proud to be able to display. All three will be in attendance at the opening.

There will be an exclusive figure release pre-order that will be available first to attendees of the opening (and then later online if stock remains).

PLEASE NOTE: At this time we are uncertain if the entirety of the original works of art from the exhibit will be available via the preview list as per our normal procedure. We are working to finish the exhibit setup and may not be able to produce a full preview, but sign up just in case!

And in other news, SDCC is just around the corner! Visit us at San Diego Comic Con Booth #4836 on July 22-25 (Preview Night July 21) for exclusives by Max Toy Company, Killer J, Shawnimals and, of course, Squibbles Ink + Rotofugi. There may be a surprise or two even! More details coming early next week.
 

We're now taking pre-orders on the prints by Kurt Halsey from his exhibit in our gallery, "a temporary nature." The prints are high-quality giclee on heavy stock, signed and numbered on the reverse by Kurt in an edition of 150 each. We expect to be able to ship these on or before July 11, though on some of the prints we had a small quantity remaining after the opening and will ship sooner. Thanks for your patience!

A final note about the prints....if you order multiple prints on one order the shipping calculation is likely to be too high (because we have to treat each one as if it were shipping alone, though in reality if you order more than one they'll be shipped together).  We'll refund any excess postage when we ship your order.

Also, if you haven't already had a look, be sure to check out the exhibit page. We've still got a handful of Kurt Halsey original works for sale from what should be one of his last exhibits for a long time to come.

UPDATE: We are sold out of stock on hand so all prints are now, officially, a pre-order. Thanks!

We're going to be very sad to see these amazing paintings picked up and/or shipped off. Ryan did an amazing job for this exhibit, as did guest curator Monte Beauchamp of Blab. It's up through the weekend, so Chicago peeps should swing on by for one last look. For non-locals or those too lazy  busy to make it out....it's not so urgent, but have a look at it online! A few pieces (like the one shown below) are still available too...get on it!

Up next in the gallery, new works by Portland, Oregon-based artist Kurt Halsey. Opening night is Friday, June 18 from 7pm until 10pm and Kurt will be attendance while long-time Rotofugi-favorite DJ Sean Doe mans the decks. Be sure to sign up for our Gallery Previews email list if you're interested in getting something by Kurt! Thanks!