Chris Ryniak

Circus Posterus x Tomenosuke: The Sofubi Figures Revealed

Cue the victory fanfare for our weary artist travelers have returned home from the magical land that is Japan! There was sight seeing, and spa soaking, fan signings and bad karaoke (still awaiting evidence), and of course, the opening of Monsters & Misfits II.

Apart from all this, the quartet also managed to squeeze in a couple of projects: namely the planning of Monsters & Misfits III, slated for Summer/Fall 2013, and also the new Circus Posterus x Tomenosuke sofubi vinyl project. Yes, ladies and gents, we’re going to smelling some fresh CP vinyl very soon — one of the first pulls of BP’s Stingy Jack is pictured above, alongside KO’s Calliope Jackalope prototype, which has just been OK’d and should be hitting production soon. Chris Ryniak also put the finishing touches on his Stinky Ginger prototype, which we first saw a few weeks back. Hand-painted resin versions will be released as well this year. In other words: we have plenty to look forward to! Release details are still emerging, so keep checking back!

 

 

Monsters & Misfits II: A Thank You from Shinji

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The four artists of Circus Posterus went from Gero-onsen to Tokyo in the morning of 16th. Yesterday, on 17th, they went to the Tokyo DisneySea with Shigeta of goccodo and Satoshi of ARTDENKA. Today, they are enjoying themselves at the Ghibli Museum. And, tomorrow, they will leave for home.
We would like to give big thanks to fans who came all the way to Hida Takayama and all those collectors around the world who purchased the works.

The Monsters & Misfits II has received more favorable responses than we had expected. With most works getting sold out after about one week, it has been a great success. The show will be held until 26th. It will be great if you can come before it closes.

We are planning to hold Part 3 next year. The time of the event will be changed to summer or fall, and we intend to make further improvement on the show. We will make that the show will be even greater next year.

[via the Tomeno Blog]

Monsters & Misfits II: Opening Night & Gallery Photos

The photo onslaught continues with a bunch of snaps of opening night and the exhibition set up in the Kusakabe Folk Museum. Have a look!

Monsters & Misfits II is a Circus Posterus group exhibition featuring new works from Chris Ryniak, Doktor A., Kathie Olivas, Brandt Peters and Amanda Louise Spayd. Hosted by Tomenosuke-syoten, the exhibition is on display through April 26th.

* Gallery photos by Susumu Noto

Monsters & Misfits II: Behind the Scenes

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Some beautiful, behind-the-scenes photos of Monsters & Misfits II to enjoy with your coffee on this fine Sunday morning. Special thanks to Shinji & Eno of Tomenosuke-syoten for the solid coverage and the Kusakabe staff for their unparalleled attention to detail.

The exhibition is on display until April 26th. Artworks can be viewed here — we’re only a few pieces away from a sold-out show!

M&MII Video: Opening Reception @ Kusakabe Folk Museum

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We continue our Japan video coverage with beautiful footage from the opening reception of Monsters & Misfits II, along with other festivities that took place yesterday.

Chris Ryniak managed to find a hotspot this afternoon and gave us all a quick update via the Circus Posterus forum:

This whole experience has been so surreal and unlike anything I’ve ever done before. They have been so generous and gracious to us over here…treating us like royalty and making us all feel very special about what it is that we do.

All of yesterday was amazing and unreal… We had a sit down conference with the vice mayor of Takayama(who also gave a speech at our opening last night). They prepared a traditional tea ceremony for us…which I am sure I messed up somehow and shamed someone’s ancestors.

We still have so much to see and do. And EAT….

Omg guys…the food! Omg.

Thank you all for your wonderful support!

Kanpai!

Definitely sounds like the experience of a lifetime. The gang is in Japan for a few more days, so there’s bound to much more coverage to come; stick around!

M&MII Video: The Journey So Far

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The artists have landed. The exhibition is hung. It’s now time to soak it all in. And while most of us will only be attending the opening reception of Monsters & Misfits II in spirit, Shinji has whipped together a video of the adventure thus far: from the airport, to driving through the winding roads of Hirayu and Takayama, right up to the Kusakabe Folk Museum, where the show is being set up. Have a watch; it’s magical.

Monsters & Misfits II opens tonight in Japan at the Kusakabe Folk Museum in Takayama

New Sneaks from the Monsters & Misfits II Catalog

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Circus Posterus’ catalog for this year’s Monsters & Misfits exhibition is hot off the press and Shinji over at Tomenosuke-syoten has granted us a sneak peek at some of the pages. Showcasing selected works from each of the exhibiting artists, the 48-page, full-color catalog will be available for purchase on opening night and will likely be part of the online sale, as well. To the collectors outside of Asia who are looking to take home a piece of this exhibition, the online sale will be taking place at midnight on April 14th, which I believe will be Saturday morning/afternoon for many of us. To be safe, keep checking the Monsters & Misfits II banner near the bottom of the Tomenosuke homepage (right now it should say ‘coming soon’ when you click on it). If this sale is being handled similar to last year, the preview page will be up before it goes live to give collectors a chance to look at everything (preview instructions are usually included on this page, as well). Good luck to all the collectors and best wishes to Brandt, Kathie, Chris and Amanda as they attend their first Japanese reception!

The Kusakabe Folk Museum Prepares for the Monsters

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There’s no turning back now: the show poster is up at the Kusakabe Folk Museum, officially kicking off celebrations for Monsters & Misfits II, opening April 13th!

For those unfamiliar with the venue, the Kusakabe Folk Museum is a historical mecca of Japan. Once the home of the Kusakabes, a wealthy merchant family, the original house was burned down in 1875 and later rebuilt in 1879 by Jisuke Kawashiri, a famous architect from Hida. The 2-storey building is a magnificent example of Edo architecture: constructed from Japanese Cypress that’s finished with paint made from soot, it features beamed ceilings that extend a lofty 13m high, multiple rooms and a slightly slanted roof and latticed windows. Later designated as a cultural asset, the Kusakabe Folk Museum now plays host to educational retreats, arts events and many other cultural events. Be sure to visit the Kusakabe Folk Museum website for a huge spread of incredible visuals!

Monsters & Misfits II is a Circus Posterus group exhibition featuring new works from Chris RyniakDoktor A.Kathie OlivasBrandt Peters and Amanda Louise Spayd. Hosted by Tomenosuke-syoten, the exhibition is on display through April 26th

CMR’s ‘Berry Triggle’ & ‘Great Gruggle’ for Monsters & Misfits II

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The week of Monsters & Misfits II is finally upon us, and while Kathie, Brandt, Chris and Amanda drive each other crazy on a plane for the next 12 hours, we get to enjoy some sweet final teasers for the event before the big opening on the 13th. From Chris Ryniak’s monster studio comes Berry Triggle, a custom Bubblegut, and Great Gruggle: The Candied Overlord, which I believe is an original sculpt (who stands an impressive 18 inches).

Stay tuned as we drop more teasers to celebrate the opening of this special CP exhibition! Best wishes and congratulations to the artists as they travel to Takayama to meet their monsters and all of the Japanese collectors! It’s been a long time coming!