A glance at Edgar Plans’ basketball-themed exhibition “Game On!” at The MixC World. Photos from The MixC World’s WeChat account
Spanish artist Edgar Plans has brought his Little Hero character in a basketball-themed exhibition titled “Game On!” to Shenzhen.
Wearing NBA jerseys, Little Hero has been transformed into Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, LeBron James and other stars in an array of colorful sculptures created by Plans. His graffiti-like paintings unleash the artists’ imagination, giving an upbeat and hopeful atmosphere.
Plans names graffiti, street art, comic books, illustrations and animated films as major influences. Yet it’s really his characters, Hero Animals and Little Hero, that have helped the artist win popularity around the world. Despite their vibrant colors and cartoon-indebted aesthetics, his paintings tackle serious subject matters, intending to inspire discussions of gender, violence, racism, and globalization issues.
A Little Hero sculpture.
Born in 1977, Plans says he doesn’t remember when he started painting. What he does know is that his life has been surrounded by pencils and crayons and that he didn’t hesitate to use them on the walls, both at home and outside.
At the age of 15, in search of more technique skills, he came to José María Ramos’ workshop where he learned to express what he wanted through painting. Later he graduated in art history from the University of Oviedo.
In his mixed-media works, Plans places his big-eyed cartoon characters against backdrops adorned with doodles and scrawl. These apparently spontaneous marks recall the canvases of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Cy Twombly.
In his paintings we can appreciate an ode to innocence and the discovery of the first things we experienced when we were kids. “I’ve always liked street art, urban art. It is an art that I see as very free, just like when children create. And I have wanted to transform it into my paintings,” he said.
Dates: Until Sept. 20
Tickets: 48-78 yuan
Venue: The MixC World, Nanshan District (南山区万象天地)
Metro: Line 1 to Hi-tech Park Station (高新园站), Exit A
