Yes, it feels like every alternate artist we feature is Japanese. But in our defense, they are the masters of kawaii. And today, we’re prepared to back it up with hard evidence. Dōitashimashite. Konatsu is a freelance illustrator who mainly draws cute animals, produces Sofubi or sofvi (more on that later), and also holds solo art exhibitions.
There’s no secret recipe here. Just combine the creamiest of creamy pastels with the cutest doodles and you get something that strongly appeals to the feminine side of us all. Check out our favorites, selected down below if you don’t believe us!
67,000 followers on Instagram is no joke, but we totally understand when we see posts like the one above! Cats, coffee and ramen are three of our favorite things. And how about a kitten eating onigiri in the park surrounded by birds? Or a bunch of cats patronizing Yamaneko Bread (literally translates to mean Wild Cat or Lynx). If there is such a thing as ‘too cute for your tastes’, this might be it.
We earlier mentioned that Konatsu also designs and sells Sofubi (also known as sofvi). If you didn’t know, Sofubi is the Japanese term for a specific type of soft vinyl Japanese toy that is highly collectible. This type of toy manufacturing actually started long ago in the 1950s and became a popular method of toy production in Japan. However when China started mass producing these types of toys cheaply in the 90s, it was thought that the Sofubi industry in Japan would quickly be eclipsed. However, it managed to survive due to higher quality and small production quantities. Today, it is common to have rare or exclusive designs with limited colorways as well, a similar marketing strategy practiced by most luxury brands. Collaborations among artists are also popular. With geek culture products in high demand and strong purchasing power, these niche toy collectors still clamor to collect the most sought after Sofubi.
Here are some of the cat sofvi sold by Konatsu:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
To get your hands and paws on them, check out their worldwide distributor list here.
In the United States you have Q Pop, Rotofugi and MyPlasticHeart, details shown below:
Q Pop
319 E 2nd Street
Unit 121
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Tel: 213-687-QPOP (7767)
http://qpopshop.com
Rotofugi
2780 N Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614
Tel: 773-868- 3308
https://rotofugi.com
MyPlasticHeart
210 Forsyth Street
New York NY 10002
Tel: 646-290-6866
https://www.myplasticheart.com
Happy hunting, and once again, Dōitashimashite!
