BACKGROUND
This collaboration with the School of Visual Arts was created to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Lion King on Broadway, in the city where it first achieved success before becoming an international hit. The Lion King’s “mask” logo has been used since its debut across a variety of media and remains the most recognizable symbol of the award-winning production.
Using the existing TLK mask as a starting point, 25 select students were tasked to reinvent/reimagine their own version of this iconic symbol to commemorate the show’s 25th anniversary on Broadway.
IDEA
The Lion King on Broadway is known for its innovative puppetry and costume design, which blend actors into the environment.
This creates suspense while reinforcing the show’s theme of animals camouflaging themselves to hide from predators.
So, by relating the Lion King Mask to both New York City and the importance of blending in with surroundings, this project reimagined the mask as a manhole cover that can blend into the streets of NYC.
RECOGNITION🏆
Graphis New Talent, Honorable Mention x2
The Manhole Cover was displayed in the Minskoff Theater lobby and got recognition from the show’s actors, staff, and guests. It was also displayed in SVA’s gallery to be viewed by students and faculty.
Process
Using a CNC Router, the mask was cut out of an MDF board and sanded down for a rougher and worn-down look.
Then, the manhole cover was coated with an Iron metallic finish and sprayed with a rust/oxidation solution to resemble the Iron material.