"A long, long time ago, in a certain province of Japan, there lived a famous artist called Tamagata."

So begins The Masterpiece of Tamagata, a short story by acclaimed author Betty Misheiker, too dangerous to have been published when it was originally written 60 years ago. Today, Ilona Suschitzky, Misheiker’s daughter, is bringing the story to life as an animated feature film, co-directed with Leo Crane and produced by London animation studio Figuration (2024).

Shikishi and Tamagata launches the Tamagata Collection, a series of digital artworks to support the film’s production. This piece adapts an immersive installation curated by IHAM Gallery in Lisbon, June 2023. It introduces the two main characters in the landscape of the inky world. The music is from the pre-production demo by Anna Rice, a record of the evolution towards an orchestral score.

The project began in 2019 with funding from Arts Council England and generous private investors. By collecting Tamagata NFTs, you are invited to join us as we complete the funding, produce the animation and release the film. Every Tamagata NFT supports independent cinema and the #film3 movement. Holders of these tokens will have special access to production insights and events.

Along with Shikishi and Tamagata, we are releasing The Escape, a 1/1 artwork showcasing the film’s striking aesthetics of hand-painted inks, digital manipulation and orchestral score.

For full credits and the latest information, please visit www.figuration.co/tamagata.