Since their first exhibition in 1993 (Veenmuseum: Emmen, the Netherlands), the Toyism movement has progressively grown, building a solid foundation for Toyist art. The appealing characteristics of Toyist paintings involve the use of bright, lively and intense colors. The colors energy, along with lines, dots and shapes, are used to convey deep meanings through a playful point of view. Toyist art reveals a strong consciousness of not only the issues that globally afflict our times, but the joy we experience in life...From ecology and environmental pollution to our love of the earth and animals... From conflicts of war, yet the hope for world peace... From the inner struggles of the individual, to the quest for self-improvement. These contrasts are expressed through symbols, vivid colors, and meticulous detail. Toyism clearly places itself against the Ego that our society has over-developed. This is also the reason why all the Toyist artists paint under a pseudonym; they appear as anonymous, yet are part of the whole of Toyism, which they represent through their paintings, and the cartoon-type figures they typify. This is part of the game. Dejo, the founder of Toyism, explains: In 1992 a group of three artists, now expanded to nine, formed an aesthetic around the idea of toys and play. Rejecting the recent emphasis on ego in art, they wrote a manifesto called Mother, and used this as their watchword for Art through the mind of a Toyist. Their style is figurative, colorful and precise; their images like fragments of a fairy tale. The artists use pseudonyms and masks to hide their true identities, all the while continuing to create work under their real names. They identify themselves using nicknames such as Pixy, Toescat, and Mwano. Artists who want to join the group are required to visit the Toyism Studio in Emmen, the Netherlands, before they can be admitted. Currently, the group comprises five Dutch, one South African, one Italian and two American artists. The art game played in Toyism is a serious matter. This sort of playing is intended to open up the viewers mind to a new, critical, and sensitive vision of the world. In effect, one of the most common factors among Toyists are their open minds, and the way in which they embrace other cultures, artists and their own Toyist role. In Toyism you must learn a new language: how to read and write with lines and dots, and how to use colors and shapes to convey the story a painting is supposed to tell. Each painting introduces a new game and tells a new story to be read by the public. In addition, the artists can either play this art-making game alone or with other Toyists. There are also multi-Toyist artworks, in which a series of paintings are combined to form one large piece&to make it whole. On these occasions, the viewer is clearly able to perceive the game played by the artists and can take an active part in it, since his/her role is definitively to untie the knots of the Toyist puzzle and interpret its symbols. Toyism has developed a very unique art style and has a strong concept for an art group that is totally new to the contemporary art panorama. Communication, poetry, emotion, and beauty are only some of the main aspects of Toyism that have appealed to the artists who have joined the group over the years. Iffios artwork is absolutely delightful, and perfectly matches her positive attitude to the world. I love to see and visit other cultures and travel frequently with my backpack and sketch book. Diving is one of my favorite sports; being underwater is so surreal and captivating. Jafr, another Toyist, is attracted to Toyism; mainly because of the technical complexity of the style. He writes: A Toyistic painting has to convey a message, should not be too explicit, and must, above all, be beautiful! One additional aspect of Toyism I love is that we are able to work as a group, which is very special because the art world is a world of individual interests. Time after time, Im delighted to see new paintings by the other Toyists, painted in their different styles; all within one style! Jafr always searches for a particular match of colors; he never uses too many, only a selective few, to convey the meaning of the piece, in a bright and dynamic way. Initially, Fihi was attracted by Toyism because of the resemblance to her own style of painting. Later, she started to become more deeply involved in the Toyist style of creating art. I like to choose subjects for my paintings that I find interesting in form, color, or meaning& For me, that usually comes from nature& the beauty of animals, plants, and sometimes in relation to humans. At times, I like to give the painting a message to help people become more conscious about life issues. Toyism appealed to Sassy, in a similar way. Her artwork is an absolute explosion of color and energy. Sassy is particularly attracted by the language and symbolism. With that in mind, she is very careful in the composition of the paintings elements. Toyism involves contemplating radical ideas, while advertently posing questions and evoking emotion. When painting Toyistically, the placement of elements must be intentional and symbolic. In essence, the iconography of the work functions as language, representing specific ideas and feelings. My obsession grows exponentially, the more deeply I delve into this process. Alfago too, has developed a very personal style within Toyism. His artwork is poetic and meticulous, as he explains: I mainly want to tell spiritual and social stories in a poetic way. Toyism gives me the opportunity to represent my vision of life in a beautiful, rich and colorful canvas. I like to put the different aspects of a matter together in order to get a synthesis; to show that so-called opposites belong to each other in a very holistic way. That's what I hope appeals to viewers. Alfagos artworks are indeed laden with meaning, making it easier for the viewer to become more deeply involved. The same strong feelings can be found in Toescats artworks: Artists create art to communicate ideas, thoughts or feelings. For me, Toyism is emotional, sensitive, intuitive and the work is carefully planned and detailed; a different approach in contemporary art. Narrative may refer to a textual element, either part of or accompanying a work. Learning about Toyism and Toyists can, and should, be a great deal of fun& because theres a striking similarity among the techniques, philosophy, and goals we aspire to. Toescats artwork is striking not only because of the bright colors he uses, but also because of his ability to convey movement through the use of dots and lines. Mwanos Toyist technique is achieved through different patterns, mixed with native and sometimes primitive folk art from Africa. Since Mwano often travels around the world, her inspiration also comes from different cultures and races. All of these experiences, combined with ethnic visual traditions, enrich her Toyist paintings greatly. Pixy is the most recent entrant to the group, and is very excited about starting to produce Toyist art& Toyism is a very appealing language. I think its important to emphasize my values to contemporary society, while enriching my artistic background and enhancing my growth.
The Toyist Movements raison dêtre can also be found in Dejos The Golden Ark, a recently completed commission. This piece tells the story of discovery and travel in the visual arts; from the Middle Ages to the present day. In parallel, we can think of the Toyists as facing the complex world of contemporary art, in which everything and its opposite can be claimed as art, yet meanings are often left behind and the viewer excluded.
Natalie Saiph Massone
