Gajin Fujita x Toledo Museum of Art - "Hood Rats" Travel Umbrella

Hailing from East Los Angeles, contemporary artist Gajin Fujita takes inspiration from traditional Japanese woodblock prints of the 18th and 19th centuries, urban street art, and popular culture. Merging these diverse influences, he has created a body of work unified by a remarkable visual vocabulary that is uniquely his own. He uses a stable of materials and methods, including spray paint (applied loosely and through intricately hand-cut stencils), paint markers, and gold leaf on wood panels.

In Hood Rats we see Fujita's signature combination of disparate influences. Notably, the stylized "Hood Rats" text and the positioning of the two battling figures seem to make reference to the imagery of the Star Wars film series. Similarly, the graffiti in the background and the title itself-a slang term for sexually promiscuous girls in low-income neighborhoods-is a nod to Fujita's close connection to the urban landscape of East Los Angeles.

Measurements:
Closed: 2" Diameter x 11" Long.
Open: 38" Diameter x 22" Tall.