About Us

Meet Sammy!

You might be wondering how a squid ended up in the art and stationery industry. Let me tell you.

Sammy grew up in the cold oceans surrounding Japan. When he was very small, he let the currents take him on new adventures each day. Some of those adventures resulted in narrow escapes, for a young squid looks like a salty snack to many of the ocean’s inhabitants. Others brought Sammy to the coastline of Japan where he would eagerly await the sunset. Each sunset was composed of ever-changing colors that seemed to outshine the last, and he felt he had to find a way to share that feeling.

One such evening, he noticed a little girl running down to the edge of the water. Sometimes the ocean would leave her presents: rainbow-colored seashells, bits of seaweed, and pieces of ancient glass. The little girl gathered them up and brought them to her mom who sat on a blanket in the sand watching her daughter.

Then the little girl’s mother did something Sammy had never seen before. She placed the treasures next to her, took out a book and a pen, and began to capture the moment in words and pictures. She took out paints and brushes and added colors to her journal, mimicking those of the small sparkling treasures and the setting sun. Sammy saw that she used ink just like he did, and he had to know more.

The next years of Sammy’s life lead him around the globe where he learned more about the human art world. He learned about pigments and pens, about paper and colors, about ink and paint. He conducted extensive research and experiments to determine the best products from around the world. All that was left was for him to find a way to share them with artists and creatives from all over, but he was just a squid after all, and he couldn’t very well put together a website on his own. So he went looking for a friend. 

Luckily he found that friend when he arrived in the warm, palm-tree lined coastal waters of the USA and met us here at Itoya ProFolio in Los Angeles. At Itoya ProFolio, Sammy and the team got together to turn “Squid’s Choice” from a hopeful dream into a living reality. Sammy learned that Itoya Profolio has been designing and creating products to fulfill art, office, and lifestyle needs since 1976, so he knew the ocean had brought him to the perfect place. Sammy still works hard in the lab, tinkering and trying out new products all the time. And when he finds something outstanding, he chooses it specifically to share with all of you.

Together, we hope that Squid’s Choice can become your favorite place to find all your art and stationery needs so that you too can bring your dreams to life.