Toy Art Gallery

On November 12th, TAG, the world's first and leading toy art gallery, will kick off "When Birds Sing The Song Of The Clouds", a showcase focusing on the fascinating creations of French artist Marion Tanguy, better known as Tan-Ki. For his first solo show in Los Angeles, Tan-Ki is focusing on his signature ‘Ki-Clear’ line: small, solid resin figures filled with anything from multi-colored balls to toy soldiers, that are among the most sought-after pieces in the toy art world.

Tanguy took his nickname ‘Tan-ki’ from the Celtic transliteration of his last name – ‘Tan’ means fire, and ‘Ki’ means dog. “It gives my name a warrior side,” he explains. It’s also the name synonymous with the studio and business he started in 2007, after graduating from the École des Beaux-Arts in Brest. His alma mater’s focus on neoclassical architectural style stands in sharp contrast to his bent toward graphism, an artistic approach that uses symbols to represent - rather than copy - reality. Tanguy says he started his own operation “to show that you don’t necessarily need to find a production business to realize your own toys.” Success was swift. After presenting his work on the show Game In Paris, Designertoyz owner Olivier Regnault offered to help Tanguy create a silicone mold of his flagship ‘Kitoy’ line, and the DIY Kitoy was presented at the Customania Expo in Lille to much acclaim. Tanguy handles every step of production from character design to mold creation, and Kitoys of wood and bronze are in the works. Tanguy lives in Brest with his wife and two sons.

“Birds” is the sixth exhibit from TAG, the world’s first gallery devoted to fine art toys. Founded and operated by collector and enthusiast Gino Joukar, TAG’s last show was October 2nd’s Jouwe Custom Show, which featured artists like Cameron Tiede, Jimmy Pickering and David Lanham. September 4th’s Red Carpet Kaiju show saw the premiere of TAG’s signature line TAGTOYS, as well as monster and kaiju works from Blobpus, Carlos Enriquez Gonzalez and Emilio Garcia.