Exhibition Overview
Update: June 2021
The World Amigurumi Exhibition is now open to the public and we are taking all the steps possible to make it safe for guests to visit the exhibition. We have officially extended the exhibition until the end of March 2021! We hope to see everyone at the exhibition in our safe environment!
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the New York State government policy to shut down non essential businesses, we will be closing the World Amigurumi Exhibition and the RESOBOX gallery until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and wish that everyone stay safe and healthy!
After taking a quick break from the World Amigurumi Exhibition, RESOBOX is back with an all new refreshing theme and loads of new crochet artists joining in for their new exhibition. The amigurumi industry is constantly expanding, as is the World Amigurumi Exhibition! RESOBOX, as a Japanese cultural community center located in New York, is bringing back the celebration of amigurumi with a new theme by a diverse selection of artists.
As the World Amigurumi Exhibition is constantly growing, RESOBOX has decided to take a look at a worldwide and vital problem – endangered species that are constantly decreasing. Supporting endangered species is and spreading awareness is a topic that RESOBOX holds dearly to their hearts, and they have decided to support the cause by making it the theme for the exhibition this year!
In total, they’ve gathered pieces from over 100 artists from 42 countries who’ve found and recreated endangered species (animals, plants, etc.) located within their region as amigurumi. Using the Red List of Threatened Species published the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources), which lists species of animals/plants/insects/etc. that are most on the verge of extinction, crochet artists from all over the world have used their creativity to craft beautiful amigurumi pieces to help spread awareness. Through the exhibition RESOBOX, would like to advocate the importance to protect the many species on the list together with the many amigurumi artists around the world.
See the unique and enticing endangered species amigurumi at the World Amigurumi Exhibition vol. 5!
Find out how Mookie makes new friends with endangered species!
In The Press
- Experience A Tight-Knit World of Amigurumi at ResoBox in LIC by Joe DiStefano on About Travel
- World Amigurumi Exhibition 2: Crocheted Culture Celebration! Blog by Petits Pixels (French version)
- All Around the World by Inside Crochet Magazine
What are Amigurumi?
Amigurumi (lit. crocheted or knitted stuffed toy) is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures. The word is derived from a combination of the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll. Amigurumi are typically animals, but can include artistic renderings or inanimate objects endowed with anthropomorphic features, as is typical in Japanese culture. (Wikipedia)
Amigurumi stems from animism, a philosophy in the foundations of many Japanese traditions and customs. Animism is the belief that gods belong to everything: water, food, nature, buildings and houses, even technology. In Japanese, this is called Yaoyorozu no Kami. In fact, Japanese people often put eyes, arms, and legs onto non-human objects and give them imaginary lives in order to feel closer to these objects and show them respect as co-existing partners in this world.
As a Japanese cultural center located in Queens, NY, one of the most diverse cultural areas in the world, RESOBOX Gallery wants to explore how the ideas of animism and amigurumi are perceived in other places internationally.
Go on a video tour of 2016’s World Amigurumi Exhibition!
Contributors
Helen E. Moss (Mookie’s Mother)
MITSUE (Website | Facebook)
Where in the World Are Our Amigurumi Artists?
