NOW: JIRAIYA AT OPENING CEREMONY

Jiraiya is the man behind the lovely chubby dudes, called gachimuchi in Japanese (“muscular-chubby”) . He’s currently one of the most famous gay manga illustrators with Gengoroh Tagame. Born in 1967, Jiraiya started his actual career in his early 30’s after working for several years as a graphic designer. Growing up in rural Japan in the 70s, sumo wrestlers were considered as symbols of wealth, almost like gods. His affection for muscular men started there and slowly became this fantasyland crowded with bigger than life dudes. He quickly got noticed for the hyperrealism of his characters, published in different magazines in Japan, before seen his career taking off. It’s only a couple of years ago that Jiraiya started been recognized internationally, especially here in the US thanks to Massive and a small but dedicated fan-base. After visiting a couple of cities in the US, Jiraiya will host an intimate print show tomorrow from 6 to 7 pm at Opening Ceremony (33 Howard Street). The show, entitled Larger Than Life, features four 36×24″ large-format prints of Jiraiya’s work, available in super limited-editions of ten each, all signed and numbered by the artist.

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