KOTOK Playthings are wooden toys, created with love and inspiration
The toys that are created by a graphic designer and produced the traditional way by an artel of craftsmen from the Nizhny Novgorod region, Russia: there the toy-craftsmen industry has been well-known since the XIXth century and has become a tradition. The wooden figurines are turned on a lathe and then painted by an artist's hand.
To work with talented craftsmen and support their distinct job, especially during current times of a global overproduction is a great joy for us.
Our goal is to create high-quality toys with a history that people of all ages will treasure and love.
Events and notes
2020: All-Russian competition-biennale of object design and an exhibition at the Moscow Museum of Decorative Arts Invented and Made in Russia II: a winner in the Crafts: Interior Decor nomination.
2020: The teaser site intro.kotok.toys was selected by the Readymag platform to participate in the voting for the best projects of the year and was nominated in the «Promo» category.
2021: An Editors's pick mark on Etsy marketplace platform.
2021 — 2022: Exhibition «History of Russian Design. Selected. 1917 - 2022», Moscow Design Museum, Tretyakov Gallery.
2022: Group exhibition Play With Design, part of the World Design Capital Festival, Carme Contemporary Culture Centre (CCCC), Valencia, Spain.
2022: Episode of the podcast «Thing in Itself», interview and story about the project.
2022: Festival «Plants inside and outside», cultural center GES-2.
2022 — 2023: All-Russian competition-biennale of object design and an exhibition at the Moscow Museum of Decorative Arts Invented and Made in Russia III: special jury mention.
2023: publication and an interview in the New Folk Art book, published by Victionary.
2023 — 2024: "Let's play!" group exhibition, Koordinata contemporary design space.