October 29, 2007

Artoyz Shop + Gallery
More than a passion , a lifestyle!

ARTOYZ is the very first french shop dedicated to the Art toys, Designer Toys, Urban Vinyl, Urban Figures , DIY Figures, mini figures, Qee, Be@rbrick, Kubrick, Ciboys and plush world...

"Art toys", real name designer toys is a term used to describe toys and other collectibles that are produced in limited editions (as few as 50 or as many as 2000 pieces) and created by artists and designers. Designer toys employ a variety of materials; plastic and vinyl are most common, although wood and metal are occasionally used. The term also encompasses plush, cloth dolls and latex.
Prominent creators of designer toys are Hong Kong-based Michael Lau, credited with the establishment of the Urban Vinyl movement; Devilrobots, a five-person design team from Japan, known for their television character named TO-FU; American concert poster artist Frank Kozik's Mongers series; and British illustrator James Jarvis' cast of characters, produced as vinyl figures of varying sizes.

A definitive example of designer toys are the Qee series, produced in Hong Kong by Toy2R. The standard size of Qee figures is 2" high, but 8" and 16" figures are also produced. Qees vary in their design, usually with the same basic body type, but with head sculpts that may be of a bear, a cat, a dog, a monkey, or a rabbit. Variations of the Qee are the Toyer with a head that resembles a cartoon skull; the Knuckle Bear, which was created by Japanese character designer Touma, and resembles a graffiti-style caricature of an anthropomorphized bear; and the Qee Egg, a bird's egg with arms and legs. Blank Qees are produced in 2" and 8" sizes; these figures may be of any Qee sculpt, but are packaged unpainted, as do-it-yourself pieces. Each piece is designed by an artist and carries its own aesthetic theme. Each 2" figure is packaged with an optional keychain attachment.

Another popular example of designer toys is the Dunny series, produced by the American company Kidrobot. Dunny figures may be considered the Western counterpart of Qee. Dunny are a series of figures that resemble anthropomorphized rabbits in a cartoon style (a design originally illustrated by graffiti, stencil, and comic artists) which are produced as 3" or 8" figures. There is a variation of the Dunny figure called a Munny, which resembles a monkey. Both styles have unpainted versions, offered as do-it-yourself pieces.

Originaly designed as an online "Art toys" in 2003, Artoyz opened since 2 shop + Galleries in the heart of Paris and Lyon selling thousands of urban figures but alos designer clothes, posters, books, magazines and skateboards. More than a passion, a lifeyle!

ARTOYZ SG PARIS
www.artoyz.com/
45 rue de l’arbre sec
75001 Paris (Ask for Jessie)

ARTOYZ SG LYON
18 rue des Capucins, Lyon 1er

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