To celebrate the launch of the new LEGO Disney Castle and honour 100 years of Disney, London based artist Lakwena Maciver has unveiled her latest artwork, Kaleidowaves, a 4.5m tall castle window inspired by the new LEGO set. The Kaleidowaves mural was unveiled in London with Lakwena’s children, Aroko aged four and Makelo aged six, placing the last of the mural’s 220,000 LEGO bricks in place.
Lakwena said: “When I lived in Ethiopia as a child in the 90s, there wasn’t access to many films, so we would watch Disney videos on repeat. Later, when living in the UK, I also remember visiting my uncle in the Ashdown Forest, which inspired Winnie the Pooh, and we would play Pooh Sticks on Pooh Bridge. And now, with my young family, films like The Lion King offer a nice way for me to talk to my children about our ancestral homeland. The idea of magical possibilities that Disney captures so well definitely had a big impact on my imagination as a child, and has therefore informed my adult work and life as an artist.”
Lakwena’s design is part of a series of four murals created with two other artists that were inspired by Disney as children, Paris-based Amy Jones and US-based artist Kristin Texeira. The murals feature some of their favourite Disney characters from the last 100 years including Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, Woody, Ariel, Tiana, Mirabel, Buzz Lightyear and Daisy Duck, who also now feature in LEGO Disney sets, surrounded by the artists’ own unique style.
The three remaining murals will be available for families to build together at free events on July 7-9 near the LEGO Store, Paris; July 14-16 at the Manchester Arndale and July 27-29 at Pier 17, Seaport in New York. There is also an opportunity to create a LEGO castle window online at www.lego.com/castle, or visit a local LEGO Store to take part in LEGO Disney building activities (visit www.lego.com/store for more details). The four complete murals will then be displayed at LEGO House in Billund from 23 August 2023.
The new LEGO Disney Castle set is a homage of the iconic castle at the beginning of all Disney movies. The 4,837-piece features not only the castle building, but also references from 14 classic Disney films over the last 100 years, such as Steamboat Willie and Snow White (the first Disney Princess) to The Princess and the Frog and Moana. The set comes complete with eight minifigures, representing some of the Disney Princess characters and their male counterparts. Inside the castle is various rooms including a kitchen and dining room, a ballroom and bedroom. Each room has references to Disney films and characters and there is even a secret turret for fans to discover a Disney time capsule with references to the 100-year history. Outside, the castle is decorated with fireworks.
Talking about her role as the Creative Design Lead for LEGO Disney, Benedikte Stamp said, “Over the last century, Disney has created some of the world’s greatest stories which are loved by generation after generation. Just like these stories, LEGO play transcends age, language, culture and interests to inspire millions of children to build and create anything they can image. As a designer, it’s my role to bring together the magic of the two brands and give fans of all ages the chance to celebrate their love for Disney stories through building.”
The new LEGO | Disney Castle set will be available globally via LEGO Stores and at www.lego.com/castle for LEGO VIP EA members from 1st July 2023 and for all from 4th July 2023 at the recommended retail price of $399.99 / €399.99 / £344.99. During 1st to 9th July anyone who purchases select LEGO | Disney sets over £95/$/€100 in LEGO Stores or LEGO.com will also receive the LEGO | Disney 100 Years Celebration set for free, which features a podium, a movie screen, projector (which lights up), a desk and a Mickey Mouse minifigure.
