New Book On IndieGoGo: Memory of Roman Shevchenko Lives On Through His Photographs of Toys

I did not know Roman personally, I am sad to say. After I learned of his sudden passing in 2014, I was able to read many tributes to him online and learn more about his life.

Roman was one of us. By that, I mean that he was passionate about art and toys and sought to express his passions through photography, so that he could share the wonderful art with more people. Roman was a huge art toy collector, but more than that, he touched the lives of many people in our community, all around the world. In the past few years, I have seen a huge increase in interest in the designer toy world by Russian collectors. I don't think that's a coincidence.

I think that truly special people can continue to have a tangible presence in the world long after they've passed. This is still true of my mother, who passed in 2001. Like Roman, she spent the better part of her life bringing people together. Like Roman, she had friends and contacts all over the globe - people who still talk about her, with sadness in her absence, but also with joy and love in their memories. The world is a little more gray because they are gone, but you can still feel their pull and their influence wherever you are.

So it is with pleasure that I write this post about an book project that you can back on IndieGoGo. This is a book of photographs of art toys, all taken by Roman. His friends have set this whole project up as a way to honor Roman's life and continue to spread his influence around the world.

"This book is dedicated to designer toys by various designers, from mass produced figures to single custom-made ones. The book is a collection of fantastic photographs taken by one of the most well-known Russian toy collector and toy photographer Roman Shevchenko, aka AlPred. Each photograph tells a little story and introduced a figure from a very special, different angle. This photographs motivate the others not just to collect designer toys, but to be creative while doing it."

"Roman was an active member of the toy community; he visited fairs all around the world, talked to designers. He was so open, communicative and enthusiastic that he got along with everyone who had a chance to get to know him. He became quite well-known in the global toy community; so after he passed away in 2014, Coarsetoys released an action figure of Omen Fade as a tribute to him. We are grateful to the company founders Mark and Sven for granting us the right to use the sketch of Omen on our book cover. It is extremely important for us.  

Roman was the biggest contributor to the popularity of designer toys in Russia, largely thanks to his photographs. He did not just take photos of the action figures, every time he told a little story and introduced the figure from a very special, different angle. The figures were not just part of Roman’s collection, in his photos they came to life and acted as characters of lots of stories. His pictures always stirred interest and motivated the others not just to collect figures, but to be creative while doing it. "

$50 will get you a copy of this book. Click here to back the campaign.