Spiritus Dea - Inari Okami
Over a year in the making, and five years of hard work to get to this. She is my Goddess Inari Okami - My very first production with Kidrobot! And what a fantastic experience it turned out to be. I’m so proud to finally have achieved one of my biggest dreams by becoming a Kidrobot artist. And to be included in such a beautiful and exquisite Dunny series is a true honor. 11 Ladies, all as talented, and I got to be the 12th. How aswesome is that!
I mean come on! If this isn’t one of the best Dunny series out there then shoot me! Haha! Seriously though, WOW girls!
Creating Inari was so nervewrecking and totally out of my comfort zone. Keeping to restrictions and boundries is so hard when you’re used to doing exactly what you want. But I’ve learnt so much from the experiance and I can’t wait to get on with other productions. She came out way better then I could have imagined and holding her in my hands for the first time was truly something.
I remeber the day I had the email of Kidrobot. The flood of emtions that went through me, the hot flushes and yes there were even tears. When you work as hard as I do (I know not as much lately, but I have my reasons :) ) then something like this makes all the hard times, late nights, blood, sweat and tears, worth it.
I want to send a huge THANK YOU to Kidrobot for including me. You made a girls (hmmm? 35?) dreams come well and truly true!
Anyway, enough of all the emtiotions and cheese! You probably want to know when you can get your hands on some Inari AP’s. Well well well, I am a bit late in the game, as I wanted to create a beautiful art print to go with her. So here goes:
I wanted to intergrate Inari into the world of Tomodachi Island and put her into a magical environment. Also I rarely get the chance to work in 2D, so I took the oportunity to do so as I wanted to give you something a little bit special with the AP’s.
All prints and AP’s will be signed and numbered. I will sign the Dunny wherever you find suitable so please make sure you have got a valid email with your orders so I can contact you about the placement of the signature.
Where and when you might ask yourselves? Wednesday the 9th of October at 8.00 PM (London Time) over at my WEBSHOP is where you can get your hands on Inari AP and the print. They will be priced at £45 (shipping fees will apply). There is only 10 of this very special release so make sure you don’t miss the time! Write it down, set reminders, put a post-it not on your forehead…. do not forget!
“Japanese goddess Inari Okami has taken on a lot of shapes throughout history. From man to woman to kitsune (fox), snake, or dragon – her shape has morphed as many times as the mythologies surrounding her. Over the centuries she has been associated with swordsmiths and merchants, blacksmiths, and warriors, and also kitsune (foxes) and rice. Prior to money replacing rice as the measure of wealth in Japan, Inari was worshipped as a provider of life to the rice fields. And in modern day Japan, she remains a popular figure in both Shinto and Buddhist religions, with a large number of shrines dedicated to her.
On choosing to interpret Inari Okami in 3” Dunny form, artist Tomodachi Island says “I had to do a lot of research to find not only a goddess who would fit my style but also one that I could relate to. Inari is often represented as male, female, or kitsune and given that I have a very strong connection to foxes and use them frequently in my work, Inari was a goddess that immediately spoke to me. I have made my own interpretation of her and have brought the fox and female into one form.”
On the figure:
Her fur is a soft peach color, the inside of her pointed kitsune ears are an even softer pink. Her emotional, honey-colored eyes are large and stylized in a way that most associate with Japanese anime. She’s dressed in a traditional Japanese garment and though she is leaning towards the minimalist end of design, every mark and line on this 3” Dunny figure is clean and expertly placed.”