Join us for the midwest’s first designer toy, art and collectibles convention!
Created by a team of art and toy veterans from Rotofugi, Strangecat Toys, UVD Toys, and Robots Will Kill — CollectedCon will feature a curated selection of vendors, artists, and companies from around the globe!
Don’t miss your chance to score some sweet new figures, see a bunch of amazing art and meet a ton of artists and toy designers…all on the shores of beautiful Lake Michigan!
CollectedCon 2024
August 3-4, 2024
Aon Grand Ballroom
Navy Pier • Chicago
Tickets are available now at collectedcon.com. Kids 12 & Under are free!
This month we also welcome back another of our favorites to the gallery, illustrator Michael Fleming, aka tweedlebop! If totally adorable (and really affordable) art is on your wishlist this is the show for you! Our two previous exhibits with Michael sold out in short order, so make sure you sign up for our Gallery Previews at https://previews.rotofugi.com to get in on the cute big-headed fun!
Join us the evening of Saturday, May 18 to view the new work while grooving to a new mix by DJ Sean Doe! In addition Huggable Koi creator Bonnie Robinson Stewart, whose new exhibit is also opening, will be in attendance to chat with attendees.
Tweedlebop Variety Show
New Works by Michael Fleming
May 18-June 9, 2022
Opening Reception
Saturday, May 18, 6-8pm
New Mix by DJ Sean Doe
Free — All Ages — BYOB
Rotofugi — 2780 N. Lincoln Ave. — Chicago
About the Artist
Michael Fleming has 15+ years of practical experience as a professional illustrator, working with both digital and traditional mediums. Specialities are children's media, character design and large cartoon heads.
He is taller than Abraham Lincoln.
Several of the early exhibits we did as a gallery, starting nearly 20 years ago now, were by plush (or if you prefer the more intellectual terminology, soft sculpture) artists. We love the versatility and creativity we see in this often overlooked category, so when the brilliant artist behind Huggable Koi reached out, we jumped at the opportunity to host an exhibit!
Combining quilting techniques and a love of koinobori (Japanese carp flags), Bonnie Robinson Stewart has developed a beautiful intricate style over the past decade. For her Rotofugi Gallery debut she has gone beyond — way beyond — koi and is bringing a mix of kaiju, cryptids, and other creatures all lovingly shaped and stitched into beautiful, huggable plush!
Join us the evening of Saturday, May 18 to view the new work while grooving to a new mix by DJ Sean Doe! Huggable Koi creator Bonnie Robinson Stewart will be in attendance to chat with attendees, plus we'll also have new works by illustrator Michael Fleming (aka Tweedlebop) on display.
Absolute Creatures
Soft Sculpture by Bonnie Robinson Stewart (Huggable Koi)
May 18-June 9, 2022
Opening Reception
Saturday, May 18, 6-8pm
New Mix by DJ Sean Doe
Free — All Ages — BYOB
Rotofugi — 2780 N Lincoln Ave — Chicago
About the Artist
Bonnie Robinson Stewart is a designer toy/soft sculpture artist who has been creating and displaying her art for nearly 10 years. Her first plushies were koi created by combining her self taught quilting skills and love of koinobori (Japanese carp flags). She has lived in the Los Angeles area her entire life and currently lives in Glendora, CA with her partner, Bill, and two cats, Audrey and Roswell.
We are thrilled to welcome back one of our most frequent exhibitors, Milwaukee-based artist James 'Jimbot' Demski for a new solo exhibit opening in just one week!
Jimbot returns after taking a nearly two year hiatus from making art — two years spent addressing health issues that have necessitated new ways of working and a bit of an artistic evolution. Many of Jimbot's newer paintings are bigger and looser than before, and there's a renewed focus on building his amazing wooden figural creations, which have evolved as well...all in all, a very exciting return that we can't wait to share with you!
Join us the evening of Saturday, April 13, 6-8pm for the opening reception to meet Jimbot and groove to a live set by DJ Sean Doe while you browse the artwork! Complimentary soft drinks and water provided, byob.
Method for Panic Attacks
New Works by James 'Jimbot' Demski
April 13-May 12, 2024
Opening Reception
Saturday, April 13, 6-8pm
DJ Sean Doe — Free — All Ages — BYOB
Jimbot Will Be in Attendance
Rotofugi — 2780 N Lincoln Ave — Chicago
Open Daily 10am-6pm — An LGBTQ+ Safe Space 🏳️🌈
About the Artist
James Demski is a Milwaukee-based artist also known by the moniker “Jimbot.” His art takes you into other worlds where the unusual can happen, beauty is around us, and your daydreams can become a reality. What exactly is happening is often left up to the viewer’s interpretations and how they view the clues left behind by the artist. He creates these worlds to escape to, and for the viewers to enjoy. James uses acrylic paint, dry transfer letters, pencil and ink to convey his thoughts, and wants the viewer to enjoy them as much as he enjoyed painting them.
This is Jimbot's seventh solo show at Rotofugi.
Join us this Saturday for the opening of our next exhibit featuring Chicago-based artist Jeff Pak! Jeff is one of those artists that we have had in a couple group exhibits in the past but we were overdue on mounting a solo exhibit of his work. Time to fix that!
A prolific creator that is equally adept at working on canvas as he is at working on the street, where his work is typically signed with the tag "JPak4Ever," Jeff has created 30 new paintings for "Little Bit of Everything." From his more recent explorations of kawaii anime-style portraits to canvases filled with piles of character doodles, the show definitely has a little bit of everything.
Join us this Saturday, March 16, 6-8pm for the opening reception to meet the artist and listen to a live set by DJ Sean Doe while you check out the art!
We do anticipate *actually* sending out a preview of this exhibit for online sales sometime Friday, so sign up at https://previews.rotofugi.com to get notification when works are available.
The exhibit continues through April 7.
Little Bit of Everything
New Works by Jeff Pak
March 16-April 7, 2024
Open Daily 10am-6pm
Opening Reception
Saturday, March 16, 6-8pm
Music by DJ Sean Doe
BYOB
Rotofugi — 2780 N Lincoln Ave — Chicago
About the Artist
Jeff Pak is a Chicago based multidisciplinary artist who dreams of becoming a professional wrestler. When he isn’t busy experimenting with kimchi in tacos, he navigates the world of images like a yard sale; constantly trying to decipher what to keep, sell, and throw out. His early love of cartoons and comics heavily influence his art. Currently he is fixating on the séance of sexy and funny and whether there is a difference between the two to begin with.
