Power in the Process: Bringing Teela to Life for Sony Pictures UK's Masters of the Universe
Some collaborations come along once in a career. This one arrived wrapped in cosmic energy, forged in impasto, and celebrated under the lights of Leicester Square.
I'm thrilled to share my official character portrait collaboration with Sony Pictures UK, created in celebration of the major theatrical release of Masters of the Universe — and to take you behind the scenes of the piece, the process, and the premiere.
The Brief: Capturing Eternia's Fiercest Warrior
When Sony Pictures UK came calling, the challenge was clear: translate the raw, otherworldly power of Eternia into fine art, centred on one of the film's most iconic figures — Teela.
Rather than a straightforward likeness, I wanted something that felt alive — a portrait that carried the same ferocity, movement, and cosmic scale as the film itself. It needed to hold its own on a poster wall and in a gallery in equal measure.
The Process: Impasto, Palette Knives, and "Power in the Process"
True to my signature style, I built the portrait using heavy-texture impasto work, layering paint thickly and working it with bold, deliberate palette knife strokes. The result is a surface that feels sculpted as much as painted — every ridge and edge catching the light differently depending on where you stand.
This physicality is central to my philosophy: Power in the Process. The belief that the energy of creation — the pressure of the blade, the buildup of paint, the decisions made in real time — should be visible in the final work, not smoothed away. For a warrior like Teela, that philosophy felt like the only honest way in. Strength isn't tidy. Neither is the paint.
The palette leans bold and saturated, echoing the fierce, cosmic atmosphere of Eternia itself, while the texture does the work of conveying Teela's power, resilience, and readiness for battle.
The Premiere: Leicester Square
The campaign culminated on the red carpet at the UK Premiere of Masters of the Universe, held at one of the world's most iconic cinema locations, Leicester Square in London. I attended as part of the official campaign, marking the piece's debut alongside the film it was created to honour.
It was a full-circle moment: a portrait I built stroke by stroke in the studio, unveiled at the heart of London's film world.
Why It Matters
Official studio collaborations like this one are rare precisely because they ask for so much: a piece that respects the source material, stands as fine art in its own right, and can carry a major theatrical campaign on its shoulders. Teela does all three — she's textured, she's fierce, and she's unmistakably part of the Eternia she comes from.
I'm proud to have brought this piece into the world, and even prouder of what it represents about where my work is headed next.
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