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Art Toy of the Week – Koibito


I have been collecting designer toys since 2004 and this is my weekly column.  I also have other interests (I am for example the Curator of the Breyer Horses and Warne’s Observer’s Pocket Books and generally am known to add anything cute to my collection).


 

This week’s Art Toy of the Week is the peculiar fish-boy that is Koibito by Yoskay Yamamoto and produced by Munky King. First released back in 2008, this unusual figure is based on one of Yoskay’s original paintings. He stands 7″ tall and was released in a limited number of colourways.

Yoskay said:

“Once upon a time I had a goldfish named Tuna. But he passed away because of my laziness and mistreatment…So I painted him for his memory…But at same time Koibito symbolizes the sense of alienation that I felt growing up in Cali…It’s kind of like the phrase ” fish out of water”…I felt and still feel like I don’t completely fit in my environment……both in Japan and the US……”

Original Koibito

He’s hard to find now, so if you do see one and want him, you’ll need to move fast!

 

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