The artists and designers who bring rich creativity to Pixar's films

Founded in 1986 in California by John Lasseter, Ed Catmull, and Steve Jobs, Pixar celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The animation studio has released numerous popular films, including "Toy Story," "Finding Nemo," and "Inside Out," earning the affection of fans worldwide.

Pixar's films are beloved globally, not solely due to their cutting-edge computer animation technology. Their unique stories and compelling characters play a significant role. Pixar employs a multitude of artists and designers who imbue the studio's creations with rich creativity through hand-drawn sketches, pastel drawings, digital paintings, and sculptures during the conceptualization phase, shaping the stories and visuals of their films.

(Left) Ronnie del Carmen | "Riley and Her Emotions" | "Inside Out" (2015) | Digital Painting (Original scanned from pencil/paper) | ©Disney/Pixar (Right) Harley Jessup (Layout: Enrico Casarosa) | "Color Script Study: Remy Cooking" | "Ratatouille" (2007) | Digital Painting | ©Disney/Pixar

Approximately 500 artworks created during the filmmaking process are exhibited together

This exhibition showcases approximately 500 precious artworks that served as the genesis for Pixar's films, from early short films to the "Toy Story" series, "Inside Out," and the latest "The Good Dinosaur." The stories, characters, and worlds that Pixar cherishes most in its animation are expressed through various techniques by its artists.

The exhibition also features installations such as the "Toy Story Zoetrope," which creates the illusion of movement by rapidly spinning three-dimensional figures of "Toy Story" characters in darkness and illuminating them with strobe lights, and "Artscape," which transforms two-dimensional artworks into three-dimensional (3D) videos using digital technology and projects them onto a large screen exceeding 10 meters in width.

(Left) Ricky Nierva | "Mike: Color Study" | "Monsters, Inc." (2001) | Marker, Pencil/Photocopy | ©Disney/Pixar (Right) Robert Kondo (Layout: Jason Katz, John Sanford) | "Beat Board: Goodbye, Andy" | "Toy Story 3" (2010) |
Digital Painting | ©Disney/Pixar

"Pixar: 30 Years of Animation"

Dates | Saturday, March 5th - Sunday, May 29th, 2016

Hours | 10:00 - 18:00
*Last admission 30 minutes before closing

Closed | Mondays and Tuesday, March 22nd
*Open on Monday, March 21st, Monday, May 2nd, and Monday, May 23rd

Venue | Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (Exhibition Galleries 1F/3F)

4-1-1 Miyoshi, Koto-ku, Tokyo

Admission | Adults ¥1500, High School/University Students ¥1000, Elementary/Junior High School Students ¥500