Get a first look at original prints celebrating The Mandalorian, Andor, and more, and hear from the artists themselves.
For art and print collectors who love the galaxy far, far away, the Art Show has always been a highlight of Star Wars Celebration. The Art Show brings together artists of myriad disciplines and styles to celebrate Star Wars with original works created just for Lucasfilm’s official event; it’s become a tradition, and StarWars.com is excited to reveal the full lineup of prints coming to Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023, with selections honoring The Mandalorian, the sequel trilogy, Star Wars animation, and much more. From Al Abbazia’s heartwarming personal expression to Shyla Lee’s winking Grogu tribute, this year’s Art Show is, once again, a wide-ranging display of talent and affection for the saga. Check out all of the amazing art below, along with exclusive commentary from the artists themselves.
“Protectors,” Al Abbazia
“I first saw Star Wars in 1977 when I was seven years old. At that time there were no toy lightsabers, so I crafted one out of a wrapping paper tube. I tried to recapture that sense of childhood wonder when I created this image.
“Just as the little boy is guardian and caregiver to his puppy, the Mandalorian has the same relationship to Grogu. In turn, both lovingly protect their caregivers, hence the title ‘Protectors.’ Just like my 2022 Celebration Art Show entry ‘Reflective Power,’ I wanted to convey a sense of childhood wonder that resides in all of us, no matter our age.”
“The Dark Times,” Jonathan Beistline
“When we first meet the Inquisitors in Obi-Wan Kenobi, they stroll off the shuttle and cast this wave of fear around them. I wanted to design a piece to evoke a similar moment that showcases all of the Inquisitors in formation with Darth Vader at the forefront. It is a fearsome group that the Emperor unleashed upon the galaxy to hunt the remaining Jedi.
“To enhance the terror of the Inquisitors, I surrounded them with the troopers, droids, and ships that we’ve seen with them at various points in the saga. The final artwork is a digital color finish of a black ink drawing done with brush on cold press watercolor paper. The colors were kept muted and subdued to allow for the accented red glows of sabers.”
“My Only Hope,” Tricia Benson
“I was really moved by the backstory given for Leia and Ben Kenobi in the series Obi-Wan Kenobi. The filling in of some their shared experiences, in my mind, made adult Leia’s reaching out for help to Obi-Wan through R2-D2 in A New Hope all the more poignant. This piece portrays two moments where Leia, and the Rebellion, needed the help of a trusted ally and friend. He did not let them down.”
“We Are All Connected,” Jodie Rae Charity
“Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger are one of my favorite master and apprentice stories from Star Wars. Very early in the Star Wars Rebels series, Ezra learns from Kanan about the connection to all living things. As the young Padawan trains to become a full-fledged Jedi, he develops a special talent for connecting to animals through the Force. In my painting, I’ve tried to illustrate Ezra’s connection to the Force, his master, and to the world around him.”
“A World Between Worlds,” Cryssy Cheung
“For this piece I was inspired to draw Ahsoka — a character that I’ve always been drawn to for her selflessness, loyalty, and kind-hearted nature. After seeing her portrayed by the incredible Rosario Dawson, I knew immediately that I wanted to draw the live-action rendering.
“For her pose, I wanted to depict a stance that is iconic to her character. For the background, I was deeply influenced by the art direction in the final season of Star Wars Rebels, where Ahsoka and Ezra Bridger are in the World Between Worlds. I felt this part of the series was very important to the story and to each of their character arcs, and it felt fitting to put her in that space!”
“We Have a Visitor,” Jason W. Christman
“For Celebration this year I focused on a more obscure iconic droid from The Empire Strikes Back, the Imperial probe droid. With its sleek and menacing appearance, alongside its deep rhythmic sounds, this droid dominated the opening scenes of the movie, making it a very recognizable character in the Star Wars universe. It left a deep impression in me as a kid that I still feel today. When the rebels intercept the droid’s transmission, I love the quote from rebel General Carlist Rieekan, “We have a visitor,” so much I used it for the title of the piece.
“In my usual minimalist approach, I tried convey the evil in the droid by having it dominate a good size of the print. Using blue hues and crystalized flares of light in the air gives the print a cold presence that is sure to become a focal point to any wall it hangs on.”
“Guardians of the New Republic,” Jason Davies
“My piece was inspired by the nostalgic sense of Star Wars adventure and the exciting possibilities for further adventures in the new Republic Era! I wanted to capture the prospect of Ashoka, Luke, Mando (and Grogu!) together, facing off against the many dangers of the Empire, other threats, and all the possibilities of the Star Wars universe. I’m showing that each character is following their own path, but uniting when needed to face a common enemy.”
“Unbreakable Bond,” Chris Dee
“The unbreakable bond between Ahsoka and Rex. We have witnessed it being forged over the course of several years, and grow into one of Star Wars‘ most powerful friendships.
“For several years, I have attempted to capture this in an art piece. I am pleased to finally be able to share with you the result of many hours of prototyping, crumbled sketches, and artistic exploration.”
“Fate of the Galaxy,” Haitem Gasmi
“‘Fate of the Galaxy’ recreates a scene from Return of the Jedi with Hasbro Star Wars: The Black Series action figures and dioramas. The lights, colors, posing, composition, angle — everything is really important to create the illusion of a realistic picture. The first special effects of Star Wars were based on the same concept with miniature models, so for me it’s a kind of tribute to this awesome saga.”
“Every Day We Wait, They Get Stronger,” Sam Gilbey
“I fell in love with the gritty and detailed world of Andor from the very first episode, but my feelings grew even deeper as the incredible season progressed. It’s intense and moving, and I just knew that I wanted to pay homage to the show, and many of its fascinating characters.”
“Tales of the Jedi,” Joe Hogan
“I knew as soon as Lucasfilm announced the new Tales of the Jedi series that I was going to love it. I even set my alarm for 3 a.m. the morning it debuted so that I could binge it as soon as it released, and then immediately got to work trying to capture all of my favorite moments from the series in this print! As usual, the Clone Wars art style and wonderful visual storytelling of the show inspired me so much that I spent almost 36 straight hours to create this illustration as soon as the end credits rolled.
“One of the things I love about the Tales of the Jedi series is just how different but similar Count Dooku’s and Ahsoka’s stories are. They were both two Jedi trying to find their roles in a big galaxy, while remaining true to their core beliefs, but diverging paths significantly. I tried to represent that with a limited palette of only eight colors. Using the same blues and oranges, I wanted to show how the same colors could be used to represent very different characters, feelings, and destinies.”
“Twilight on Endor,” Sandra Kamenz
“It is a traditional watercolor painting with a few digital touches. The inspiration for this Ewok village came from my beloved brother, who is a huge Star Wars fan and passionate collector of Star Wars action figures. Since his primary focus is on the Ewoks, these little creatures have held a special place in my heart since childhood.
“I am amazed by all the different planets and space stations that Star Wars has to offer. And between all these futuristic places, I especially like the raw nature that Endor has to offer. I love the cozy and familiar atmosphere we saw after the battle in Return of the Jedi, and I wanted to capture that mood in an artwork — the Ewok village just before night covers the forest moon.”
“We’ll Handle This,” Brandon Kenney
“I wanted to reimagine one of the most iconic scenes from Episode I from a different perspective. I still remember the feeling of excitement as a teenager as I watched that moment unfold for the first time in theaters, ‘Duel of the Fates’ building as the suspense of a final showdown looms between Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Darth Maul. It was my goal to try and capture a little bit of what made that so special to me.”
“Art Gu-Gro,” Shyla Lee
“When I had the opportunity to apply for my first Celebration Art Show, I knew only one thing. It had to be Grogu.
“After pondering on how to proceed from there, I decided to focus on his love for snackies, done in an Art Nouveau style, which I tend to draw a lot of inspiration from. Had to throw on some shiny accents as a finishing touch, as any collectors familiar with my Star Wars sketch cards would know, I love my foils and all things shiny!
“I’m so excited and honored to have this be selected, and hope people find it cute enough to warrant a space on their wall next to other incredible past, present, and future Celebrations pieces!”
“Gioconda Amidala,” Erik Maell
“This piece completes an ambitious triptych which I began at Celebration Orlando in 2012, when I debuted my artwork of Queen Padmé Amidala in her full royal regalia from Episode I. For Celebration Anaheim in 2015, I followed up with an Episode II version of a similarly posed Padmé (now a Senator in the Galactic Republic) wearing her Naboo picnic dress. The circle is now complete, with the new Episode III version revealing Padmé in a very private moment at her home on Coruscant, and it is the most unguarded and intimate portrait yet of this strong and courageous leader.
“All three of these illustrations have portrayed Padmé in poses reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci’s classic Renaissance portrait, Mona Lisa, or, as it is known in Italian, La Gioconda (“the smiling woman”). For centuries, civilizations have pondered the mystery behind the cryptic smile of Mona Lisa. Likewise, Padmé’s subtle and enigmatic facial expression belies the hidden secrets of her forbidden marriage to Jedi Anakin Skywalker and the pregnancy that would ultimately lead to the birth of Luke and Leia, and provide new hope for the entire galaxy.”
“Hope,” Ashraf Omar
“Return of the Jedi is one of my favorites from the original trilogy. Luke Skywalker building his lightsaber is a cool scene that we don’t see in the film, except for that deleted scene. This work takes inspiration from it, with the act of constructing the weapon symbolizing the hope it will bring to the galaxy.”
“The Scavenger,” Frank Sansone
‘The Scavenger’ is an ode to Rey’s humble beginnings as a lone straggler, salvaging for parts, hoping to make it to her next meal. It is my hope the piece conveys Rey’s longing for her family and the importance of her role in the galaxy far, far away.”
“From the Ashes of Mandalore,” Adam Schickling
“This piece captures the strength and determination of Bo-Katan Kryze, the Mandalorian whose mission is to reclaim the Darksaber with her small band of Nite Owls and become the ruler of Mandalore. My vision for this artwork was to show the resilience of Bo-Katan after the devastation of her planet by the Empire and her rise from the ashes of Mandalore to reclaim her throne.”
“Academy BFF’s,” Nick Scurfield
“As a lifelong fan of Star Wars, I know that many of us now have families of our own and are keen to pass on our love of these stories to the next generation, so I love to create artwork that would feel appropriate to hang in the bedroom of young children or in a family room, introducing them to characters and scenarios that celebrate the magic of Star Wars.
“While as it stands there’s no indication that these two characters met before they were introduced in The Mandalorian, it’s plausible that they spent time together as younglings at the Jedi Academy. It was fun imagining the mischief they could have got up to together.
“In my work, I begin with pencil sketches, scan these, and then work up flat colors before applying color grading, light, and shadows. I love the benefits of digital work but often add soft grain and use brushes that emulate traditional methods of illustration such as paint, chalk, and pastels to bring some texture and character to the piece.”
“Beyond a Jedi,” Lin Zy
“‘Beyond a Jedi’ is me getting to explore one of my favorite characters in the Star Wars universe! I was so inspired by Ahsoka’s return in the Star Wars Rebels series that I wanted to do a piece that would showcase her ethereal spirit and her evolution towards becoming something more than a Jedi. Rebels is one of my all time favorite shows. So with the show’s stylization in mind, I moved forward by utilizing a more subdued color palette with blues, purples, and whites, but of course wanting the main focus being on my girl Ahsoka. I really wanted her to pop and be the main visual opposition in the piece. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it!”
“Things That Were,” Zoltan Simon
“My poster conveys what has been lost: the Jedi are gone, the Republic is gone, Padmé is gone. But even if it is nighttime in Naboo and also the age of darkness for the galaxy, the soothing blue colors and the glowing moonlight promise that there is still hope.
“Ahsoka mourns the things that were as we have seen in Tales of the Jedi. She just heads to the starfighter now. But eventually, her way leads to bringing light back to the galaxy.
“Printed using special 11-color pigment ink to ensure the rich expression of the subtle hues of the moonlit night scenery.”
“Extraction Team Bravo,” Malcolm Tween
“I love to try and show some of the scenes we don’t necessarily get to see in the films. Bravo Team, with Sergeant Melshi and K-2S0, have landed on Wobani and are about to set out to rescue the high-value rebel target Jyn Erso. We only get a brief glimpse of Wobani in Rogue One, but I wanted to explore a little more of its desolate and hostile environment.”
“Victory and Death,” Ksenia Zelentsova
“I’ve had inspiration for this piece since I first saw the Clone Wars series finale, which left me with a lot of emotions. The idea of the piece comes from the duality of the title of the very last episode: how the two concepts can be equally applied to each side.
“The fluidity of traditional watercolor served as the perfect medium for this concept. The clone motif serves as a unifying parallel between the two scenes, and being a big clone trooper fan that I am, I wanted to showcase the tragedy of the clone army and Order 66.”
Pre-orders will go live at DarkInkArt.com on March 10 at 12 p.m. PT and run through March 20 at 12 p.m. PT; all prints will be limited to 250 pieces, with 200 available for pre-order and pick up at the Art Show, and 50 reserved for sale at Celebration. All pre-orders are pick up only (no pre-orders will be shipped).
Check out StarWarsCelebration.com for more information. Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023 will be held April 7-10, 2023, at ExCeL London in England.
