The LEGO Group is revealing 43222 Disney Castle and to mark the occasion has enlisted London-based artist Lakwena Maciver to create a special Disney piece using LEGO bricks.
Alongside the announcement of 43222 Disney Castle as the latest 100 Years of Disney LEGO set, the LEGO Group had artist Lakwena Maciver unveil Kaleidowaves, a 4.5m tall castle window mural built using LEGO elements. Lakwena’s children, Aroko and Makelo, placed the last of the 220,000 pieces today.
The mural features Pocahontas, Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie, Winnie the Pooh, Snow White, Buzz Lightyear and Tiana.
43222 Disney Castle is a 4,837 piece set that’s launching on July 1, inspired by Disney World’s central castle with references to animated films from the studio’s 100 year history.
‘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,’ says Lakwena. ‘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.’
The mural is one of four that she created with two other artists – Paris-based Amy Jones and US-based Kristin Texeira. Families will be able to work on the other murals together at three locations on the following dates:
- Paris; July 7 – 9
- Manchester Arndale; July 14 – 16
- Pier 17, Seaport in New York; July 27 – 29
The four complete murals will then be displayed at LEGO House in Billund from August 23.
‘I grew up near Orlando close to the Disney magic, so I will always feel a nostalgic connection to the inspirational world of Disney and its characters,’ says Amy. ‘Within my design, I wanted to remind people of the stories behind these Disney characters in my own creative style, full of exuberant colour and shapes, brick by brick.’