SNOOPY COMES ALIVE
AVAF Display poster
Debuting over 15 limited edition collectible figurines, APPortfolio has brought the characters of the Peanuts comic strip to life.
André Saraiva x Mr.A (h30cm)
What amazing chemical reactions will be stirred up when the characters of the iconic Peanuts comic strip encounter different artists in the world? To celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, K11 Art Mall presents the K11 CLASSICS REBORN project, showcasing over 40 artworks featuring The Peanuts Global Artist Collective artwork by seven internationally-acclaimed artists, including André Saraiva x Mr. A, FriendsWithYou, AVAF, Kenny Scharf, Tomokazu Matsuyama, Rob Pruitt, and Nina Chanel Abney. In addition to being displayed as traditional 2D poster prints, selected artworks from 5 artists have been reborn as over 15 limited edition collectible figurines, thanks to the art platform APPortfolio.
Stepping into the exhibition, the 120cm tall André Saraiva x Mr. A wooden special edition Snoopy placed at the entrance immediately caught my eye. The classic “Snoopy Tin House” is engraved with a “XO” mark, a signature tag by André Saraiva, the most representative graffiti artist in Paris; which reminds me of his graffiti character – Mr. A, a dapper stick figure with “XO” eyes and a smirk on his face. I wonder about the process behind this figurine as it is made of wood instead of the usual resin.
Keith Wong, the Chairman of APPortfolio, said that in addition to the technical challenges faced in producing wooden figurines, the choice of wood also matters. For instance, the wood used for making a 30 cm and a 120 cm figurine are different. The wood texture used for small sculptures (30 cm tall) are very refined and subtle, yet they are not suitable for making large sculptures (120 cm tall). Keith explained: “Imagine using this kind of wood texture for a large sculpture, it will not look like wood after magnified.”
Since the André Saraiva x Mr. A Bronze figurine has lean, long limbs, its structure must be adjusted, such as changing certain body parts to be hollow or solid, so that he will not lose balance easily.
Another André Saraiva x Mr. A Bronze figurine is also striking. With dapper stick limbs, how can Mr. A stand firm? “This bronze figurine does take a lot of work. Because Mr. A has an enormous head with very lean, long limbs, its structure must be adjusted accordingly. For example, certain body parts need to be changed to hollow or solid, so that he will not lose balance and can stand firmly.” Keith further elaborated on the problems encountered during the manufacturing process.
If you look closely, you will notice the surface of the bronze figurines is delicate and smooth, with various shades of rust, making me wonder how exactly this is done. Keith then pointed out that unprocessed bronze was originally of the same shade, which needed to be oxidized and polished by hand. To polish, the artist will imagine which part of the figurine is often touched by people, as the surface of bronze will become smooth by frequent contact. It is undeniable that Keith and his team have invested a lot of time and effort into this complicated production process.
Keith also revealed that transforming a print image into a 3D sculpture takes more than 1.5 years to develop, in which more than half of the time is spent on communicating with the artist. “First, we need to draw a 3D image to examine the figurine style and whether it can highlight the artist; then we will decide on its material and colour.” Keith added.
Although these vibrant Peanuts-inspired creations are all of distinctive and unique styles, they have one thing in common – the vitalness brought alive through the artist’s imagination.
Wood: André Saraiva x Mr. A (h30cm)
01 AVAF 02 Resin: Nina Chanel Abney (h30cm) 03 FriendsWithYou (h30cm) 04 Kenny Scharf
Keith Wong is a curator, conceptual artist, and the Chairman of art platform APPortfolio. In this K11 CLASSICS REBORN project, Keith and his team have transformed selected artworks from 5 artists into over 15 limited edition collectible figurines.
《K11 CLASSICS REBORN》企劃
Date: From now until 30 June 2020
Venue: Atrium, K11 Art Mall (G/F),and chi K11 art space, K11 Art Mall (B2/F)
Vol.12
