News
Sonic Speeds onto the Art Scene
November 18, in the year of our Lord 2016 --
Washington Green, the UK’s leading art publisher, has joined
forces with SEGA Europe Limited to create a new collection
celebrating the 25th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog™.
Featuring 25 original pieces from a selection of today’s leading
contemporary artists, supported by a body of limited edition
publishing, the collection pays homage to the iconic videogame
character who has been racing through games, TV, mobile,
merchandise and more for a quarter century.
Its new ‘Sonic 25’ collection sees Washington Green artists
re-imagine Sonic the Hedgehog in each of their own inimitable
styles. The collection will traverse multiple mediums; from a
fusion of neon and aluminium, to sculptures, oils and more… all
in keeping with the many faces and iterations of Sonic over the
years.
The artists taking part in the project have been announced as
Dan Lane, Paul Kenton, Frédéric Daty, Louis Sidoli, Stuart
McAlpine Miller, Robert Oxley, Craig Davison, Keith Maiden, and
Nic Joly.
Sonic the Hedgehog first appeared as a video game character in
June 1991, and instantly became an icon for a generation of
gamers. Defined by his super-fast speed and cool attitude, Sonic
has become a true global phenomenon with over 350 million video
games sold or downloaded worldwide across consoles, PCs, mobile
phones and tablets.
To mark this milestone 25-year achievement, SEGA® Europe Limited
has lined up an international slate of new licensing partners to
support the franchise through 2016 and beyond. This included
approaching Washington Green, a leading figure of the
contemporary art scene for over 30 years, specialising in
publishing limited edition collections from acclaimed artists
across the globe.
Jason Rice, Director of Brand Licensing, at SEGA Europe Limited,
said:
“This collaboration is a fitting finale to our year-long
celebration of Sonic’s 25th Anniversary. We wanted to create
something truly unique to give fans and collectors the chance to
view Sonic in a way never seen before. These incredibly talented
artists along with the whole team at Washington Green have been
a joy to work with. There is huge excitement and anticipation
here at Sega at the prospect of revealing these stunning pieces
of work to the world. We couldn’t be more proud!”
Glyn Washington, Founder and Creative Director of Washington
Green Fine Art, said:
“The launch of this collection marks the culmination of many
months of passion, dedication and hard work both from our
superbly talented artists and the team here at Washington Green.
We have all relished the opportunity to collaborate with SEGA,
getting to know their brand and opening our world of fine art up
to new audiences. The interest in the collection so far has been
phenomenal, from established art collectors and Sonic fans
alike, and we anticipate a great reception for the work when it
launches in December.”
The ‘Sonic 25’ signed limited edition pieces will be launched
across Washington Green’s network of 34 Castle Fine Art
galleries across the UK on Friday 2nd December 2016. Each
limited edition is presented with a certificate of authenticity
co-signed by both the artist and Naoto Ohshima - one of the
founding members/designers of the Sonic franchise.