Animation startup TONKO House holds exhibition in Seoul

TONKO House art directors Dice Tsutsumi, left, and Robert Kondo. Courtesy of Zamygo

By Lee Han-na

In July 2012, Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi, quit Pixar Animation Studios in search of greener pastures. Two years later, the two artists teamed up to found animation startup TONKO House in Berkley, California to “create stories that deliver entertainment and awareness for people of all ages.”

Last week they visited Seoul for a news conference to promote their touring exhibition showcasing their 140 animation works to commemorate the five-year anniversary of their studio.

The travelling exhibition opened at a gallery space in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul on May 3 and will continue until August 31. It has come to Korea after showing in three Japanese cities.

“All of our projects start with 'Tonko House Therapy.' Basically when we start any project, we sort of talk about our vulnerability. It's kind of a conversation that is not comfortable,” said Kondo.

“A blank piece of paper can be intimidating for an artist or anybody else because on it you have to create something and there are endless possibilities. Children enjoy drawing in the margins. So what we are trying to is create a collection of work that invites children to draw. Creating a space for children to feel comfortable enough to make art. There is no right or wrong answer. In the beginning, it's really about self-expression.”

The exhibition shows various artworks and maquettes of its featured characters.

Starting May 3, Tonko House exhibition will continue until August 31 in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-na

Kondo and Tsutsumi said they were curious about Korea and this led to them to bring their exhibition to Seoul.

Mentioning their 2014 animated film “The Dam Keeper” which tells the story of an introverted young pig, they reminded the Korean public of the topics it dealt with such as air pollution and school bullying, two issues that Korea is also wrestling with.

When asked to answer how Tonko stories are different form Pixar, Kondo and Tsutsumi said Tonko is much smaller than Pixar ― they only have around 20 employees ― but their stories are more multinational than Pixar's as the latter is mostly focused on American stories, Kondo said.

In a YouTube video that was released before their arrival in Seoul, Kondo said part of the Seoul exhibition would display their collaboration with Korean artists.

“We had the opportunity to collaborate with incredible Korean artists and educators to bring this exhibition to Korea for the first time,” he said. “You'll be able to find our films and a brand-new education project which will be premiering after the Korean exhibition.”

Lee Han-na is a Korea Times intern.