Jesse James
After reimagining the social media game Wordle, LEGO is back. This time around, LEGO Ideas reveals The Starry Night set based on Vincent van Gogh’s famous 1889 painting. The painting was inspired by the view from the window at the Monastery of Saint-Paul de Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy, France. The painting and LEGO rendition feature a dazzling night sky and the sleeping Provence village below.
The set was designed by Truman Cheng, a 25-year-old fan and Ph.D. student based in Hong Kong. He submitted the work through the Ideas platform, securing 10,000 votes from the community and considered for development.
Federico Begher, Head of Global Marketing at LEGO, spoke about the decision to turn the design into a real set. Begher stated: “What makes The Starry Night so irresistible is the expressive brushwork and vibrant colors used throughout, which tell the story of humanity’s everlasting dream for better things.” He added, “Truman’s design was a masterpiece in itself – showing how many different LEGO elements and techniques could be used to replicate van Gogh’s iconic painting.”
Designer Cheng also spoke about his design process. He said, “It was a was a good brain tease to come up with tricks and techniques to capture the look of the original painting.” He also added, “The brushwork goes into many directions in the moon and the swirling cloud, so there was some creative use of bracket and clip elements involved.”
The piece was made in conjunction with the MoMA Museum in New York. LEGO is also hosting a competition to encourage fans to create their own mini builds inspired by the night sky. The winners will be displayed at the museum this summer. The LEGO® Ideas, The Starry Night, set will be available on May 25 exclusively for LEGO VIP and MoMA members. A release will take place on June 1 at the LEGO website, MoMa website, and MoMA Design Store in New York City.
Check out The Starry Night set in the images below and head over to LEGO for more information. In the meantime, keep it locked with The Culture Curators for more from the intersection of art and design coming soon.
Photos via LEGO
