Luke Kenner Figure

This acrylic painting is inspired by the legendary Kenner Luke Skywalker action figure, the toy that helped revolutionise the action figure industry. The Star Wars Kenner line is the godfather of modern toys, the range that changed everything. I was too young to get my hands on an original when it was first released (in fact, I wasn’t even born yet!), but I always saw this figure as a holy grail of action figures, a true icon of toy history.

Painting this piece presented some unique challenges, especially in capturing the simple, almost abstract design of the original sculpt. The smooth, minimalistic face was tricky, but in the end, it became one of my favorite aspects of the painting, along with that wonderfully janky telescoping lightsaber, a design choice that makes these figures so distinct.

There’s something undeniably beautiful about this era of toys. They weren’t exact replicas of the characters, but instead, impressions of them, recognisably Luke Skywalker, yet not quite as we know him today. That simplicity is what makes them so special.

Through this painting, I wanted to celebrate not just the figure itself, but the nostalgia, the charm, and the groundbreaking legacy of the Kenner Star Wars toy line. For collectors and fans alike, this is more than just plastic, it’s a piece of history.