About Artist: Mushroom net
Where do you live and work? How favorable are the conditions for your work?
I live in Veliky Novgorod. I work as a coach at a gym, while also pursuing street art and toy making. My town is small, and I feel the general level of income is not high, so there is not much demand for art. It is very hard to sell toys here, but all the conditions for creating toys are available.
When did you start working with toys?
A little over a year ago.
What were you doing before? Tell us about your creative journey.
I have been doing graffiti since 2007. Initially, my focus was on lettering compositions. In 2019, I came up with my characters, which I still paint on the streets of cities across Russia.
Tell us about your characters and platforms.
My characters are mushrooms. Every mushroom I draw or create physically is part of one big mycelium.
What do you like about designer toys?
I love modeling. I enjoy working with form and finding interesting solutions and poses for my characters. Modeling digitally is very convenient – in a short time, you can make a lot of adjustments, try different things, and figure out what works and what doesn’t.
How do you assess the state of the Russian designer toy market? Who are your buyers?
It is not as popular as I would like it to be. I have a few regular buyers from abroad and a handful from various cities in Russia. Most of them are fellow artists.
How do you feel about digital collecting? How important is the materiality of the object you create?
It is always nice to hold a physical piece of art in your hands. But a digital format would be a good supplement to a physical model.
Is there a community of toy designers in Russia? How would you describe it? Do you consider yourself part of it?
Yes, it has formed recently. It is a pretty tight-knit community. We support each other and strive to popularize this field. I definitely consider myself part of it. I am always ready to help beginners, share my experience, and exchange tips with more experienced artists.
What do you think are the prospects for designer toys in Russia right now?
If we continue to promote each other, collaborate, and help each other grow, success is inevitable.
Why do you think designer toys came to Russia? Could it have not happened?
As technology advances, everything needed for toy creation has become more accessible. It is a fantastic and diverse field with endless ideas. This was bound to happen eventually.
Popular toys of the artist: