Fans of the Stranger, Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett, and Padmé Amidala - report in!
The Art Show is a highlight of every Star Wars Celebration, StarWars.com is excited to announce the entries for Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025, where artists display and sell prints of artwork chosen by Lucasfilm. The art work in this year’s group represents illustrations created from a variety of styles and includes artists from around the world. Selections celebrate characters and locations from a variety of Star Wars tales including Star Wars: Return of Jedi, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Ahsoka, and The Book of Boba Fett. There are also pieces sure to please fans of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which are both celebrating anniversaries this year. Read on for your first look at the full selection and hear directly from the artists as they share details about the inspiration and creation of each piece.
Jonathan Beistline - “Overwhelming Odds”
“I wanted to create a Revenge of the Sith piece in celebration of the 20th anniversary that showcased the impending defeat of the Jedi. The symmetrical, pyramidal composition mirrors the opposing army of the Republic against the Separatist forces with Palpatine bridging the middle as the grand orchestrator of both sides. General Grievous advances forward creating the anticipation of a dark wave about to crash over a small cluster of Jedi Masters that stand resolute in the face of the rising odds.
“The idea began as a series of thumbnail sketchbook compositions to find the idea and characters. From the rough thumbnails, I progressed into drawing studies of various characters before scanning and digitally assembling the composition. The composition was then physically redrawn before being scanned back into digital format where it underwent several successive passes of digital redrawing, detailing, composition refinement, and coloring to arrive in its final form.”
Tricia Benson - “Your Path You Must Decide”
“For me, Luke Skywalker has always been the heart and soul of the original trilogy. His journey became mine as I was introduced to all of the multitudes that the Star Wars universe held in store. So, I found particular enjoyment at Luke’s triumphant reappearance in The Book of Boba Fett. Watching him continue on his journey as a Jedi at the height of his powers while he passed on his knowledge to Grogu as a Padawan felt like a throwback to his own training with Yoda on the swamp on Dagobah. With ‘Your Path You Must Decide’ I have painted both scenes in tones representing two of the different colors of Luke’s lightsabers. Blue on the left, when he was still in training and using the lightsaber of his father, and green on the right, after he had crafted his own green lightsaber on his path to becoming a Jedi. Catching a glimpse of what I had always longed for in the story of Luke Skywalker, the ability to experience some of the thrill of his adventures as a full fledged Jedi, was so unexpected and I am very honored to capture some of that feeling with this piece.”
Candice Dailey - “Peace is a Lie”
“Episode 5, ‘Night’ of The Acolyte will go down (for me) as one of the coolest fight sequences Star Wars fans have been blessed with in live action. From the choreography to the lighting and cryptic dialogue, I enjoyed every minute of it. I went into this piece hoping to capture a little bit of the calm yet confident nature of the Stranger and the drama brought on by the atmosphere and red light from his sabers. If you are familiar with my art, you already know I’m a sucker for a cool Sith.”
Brian DeGuire - “Never Underestimate a Droid”
“I wanted to create a piece representing all the wonderful Star Wars droids that we have had the pleasure of getting to know through the years. The focus is on the original Star Wars droid duo of R2-D2 and C-3PO. Behind them I added numerous droids that have graced our big and small screen since then. These include droids found throughout the different trilogies all the way to new favorites found in series like The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and Andor. Droids are an integral part to any Star Wars story and loved by fans. This is clearly seen at every Star Wars Celebration in the amazing droid builder rooms. I wanted this piece to pay homage to these beloved characters, the talented people behind the scenes who create them, and the amazing fans that bring them to life at conventions all around the world.”
Traci Easterday - “A Hero’s Journey”
"Ahsoka Tano means so much to so many, and I wanted to pay homage to all the stages of her life that we’ve seen in animation and in live-action. Rarely do we get to see a character from the first moments of their life, through to adulthood, with all of the joy and trauma and heartbreak and growth along the way. From her tender moments as a toddler, to being Anakin’s Padawan during the Clone Wars, to becoming Fulcrum, and ultimately 'Ahsoka the White,' she remained steadfast, resilient, compassionate, and empathetic, always standing for what is right, and refusing to turn her back on those in need.
“For this piece, I wanted to show Ahsoka from strength to strength, so I chose strong and recognizable poses for her. Additionally, I was deeply inspired by the title design and end credit sequence of the Ahsoka series, so it felt natural to design a graphic frame to anchor the piece. The frame mimics shapes from the Jedi Temple, and I created stylized icons of Morai and the Jedi emblem to sit alongside the Fulcrum symbol and star chart elements."
Seth Groves - “Phantom Menace”
“At the beginning of The Phantom Menace when the droid army is invading Naboo, there is this beautiful shot of Queen Amidala in the palace. I was struck by how juxtaposed the beauty of her dress and the scene was with her sorrow-filled expression and the peril that loomed. While this was the millionth time I had watched it, I noticed something for the very first time. I saw what looked like Darth Maul's face in the reflection of her dress on the marble floor — almost as if it were foreshadowing Maul hunting and tracking her to Tatooine. With this image stuck in my head, I set out to paint ‘Phantom Menace’ traditionally with acrylic gouache, and add the gold filigree border inspired by the embroidery of her dress using a gold leaf technique.”
Danny Haas - "Heroes Broken, Destiny Changed"
“Season 5 of The Clone Wars has always been one of my favorite seasons and I wanted to pull from the stories of that season that would ultimately change the course of so many of our characters.”
Akinobu Hara - 狼将 -ROSHO-
“Plo Koon is one of my ideal Jedi. In this work, I expressed his quiet strength as he protects his comrades and upholds justice. Plo's mask is reminiscent of a ‘menpo,’ a type of armor worn by Japanese samurai warriors. I thought there might be synergy with Japanese motifs, so I painted the Wolfpack emblem in the background with an image reminiscent of Japanese family crests and kintsugi.
“As for the characters written at the top, “狼” means wolf, and “将” means general.
It was a lot of fun reinterpreting Plo's costume from The Clone Wars in a live-action style and drawing the details!”
Joe Hogan - “Darkness on Umbara”
“The Umbara story arc from The Clone Wars series is, in my opinion, some of the most compelling Star Wars content we clone trooper fans have ever received. Captain Rex and his Torrent Company were forced to confront so many threats, both exterior and interior, which led to some of the most exciting action sequences of the entire show. Digitally illustrated using Adobe Photoshop and a Wacom Cintiq drawing monitor, I wanted to capture some of the chaos our clone heroes faced during their time on Umbara. Rex can be seen fighting alongside his brothers and fan-favorite clones, such as ARC Trooper Fives, Hardcase, Kix, Tup, Dogma, Jesse, and more. Perhaps, if you look closely enough, you'll also find the more sinister threat to our heroes, lurking somewhere amongst their ranks!”
Brad Hudson - “The Daimyo of Mos Espa”
“My work for the 2025 Celebration is inspired by The Book of Boba Fett and by Fett’s first appearance in Marvel Comics. Boba debuted in Star Wars issue #42. 77¥ is the approximate conversion of the original cover price, 50¢. I wanted to include Japanese characters, and I moved the traditional corner box to the right as an homage to Japanese manga. I also used a halftone coloring system to further connect to manga aesthetics and to make a nostalgic reference to early comic printing processes.”
Mathilde Machuel - “The Force: Serenity and Harmony”
“In ‘The Force: Serenity and Harmony,’ I sought to merge the Star Wars universe with the Japanese art to explore themes of balance, spiritual connection, and unity. Ahsoka, symbolizing serenity and wisdom, stands at the center. Her kimono, adorned with sakura flowers, symbolizes impermanence and resilience, capturing the essence of life’s fleeting beauty. Grogu is wearing an asanoha-patterned outfit, representing growth and transformation. For the purrgil I reimagined them as koi fish, which are traditional symbols of travel and spiritual journey, while a Loth-cat as a maneki-neko adds luck and protection.
“The background features Ahsoka's kamon (crest), a design I created that incorporates sakura blossoms with the Fulcrum symbol. My goal was to invite reflection on duality, balance, and our connection to the world. For me, these are some of the many themes that connect the Star Wars universe with Japanese culture.”
Joey Mason - “Tale of the Rebellion”
“My piece depicts C-3PO recounting the story of the Rebellion to the Ewoks of Bright Tree Village (as seen in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi). I chose to portray this scene because it celebrates the power of storytelling, and demonstrates how heroic legends can provide inspiration and courage. I also love that this moment was a chance for the usually-comedic C-3PO’s talents to shine and have an impact on the galactic struggle and the way his friends let him take the stage and looked on in support.
“I created this piece traditionally using ink pens and Tombow brush markers, in a style inspired by vintage cartooning and limited-color printing. It’s meant to mirror the first person view of a war illustrator, as if an Ewok artist was in the wings recording the fateful gathering.”
Dawn Murphy - “Angel of Naboo”
“Taking inspiration from classic fairy tale illustrations, ‘Angel of Naboo’ depicts a quiet moment for Queen Amidala before stepping out to confront the Trade Federation's blockade of her planet. Illustrating a moment of trust in her loyal handmaidens, it shows final checks being made to her royal gown and hair as she gathers her calm determination and bravery to face the threat against her people. ‘Are you an angel?’ Anakin asks upon meeting her. I imagine the people of Naboo would answer ‘yes.’”
Tsuneo Sanda - “Anakin’s Path”
“Anakin relied too much on his own power and misunderstood the way he should be. I think this image clearly expresses the point of Anakin’s heart by stacking a lightsaber, a symbol of power staring at Anakin. This artwork is based on the theme of why Anakin turned to the dark side, painted using Liquitex paints and an airbrush.”
Tomoko Taniguchi - “Love in the Galaxy”
“My childhood dream was drawing Shojo manga style Star Wars. Shojo manga = Love, beauty, and cuteness. At that time probably not many people imagined this style matched the Star Wars universe. Some decades later, my dream came true. I have drawn more than 800 pieces of Star Wars sketch cards so far. I gathered my favorite pieces for this poster, full of love , beauty, and cuteness. I used brush pens, watercolor, color inks.”
Hidetaka Tenjin - “A New Hope”
“Various Star Wars iconography has been redesigned into a more Japanese style over the years, but personally I've always wondered what Star Wars: A New Hope would look like if it were reimagined as a Japanese period piece. With this idea in mind, I attempted to create a theatrical poster resembling that of an Akira Kurosawa jidaigeki film by referencing classic posters in order to capture the feel of that era.”
Chris Trevas - “Freighters of Fortune”
“The Millennium Falcon has been a lifelong passion of mine — its storied history and iconic silhouette have captured my imagination since childhood. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of creating official guides and manuals exploring the ship’s rich legacy. These projects allowed me to immerse myself in every detail, from its battle-scarred exterior to its modified hyperdrive, further deepening my connection to the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy. That enduring connection inspired my latest art print, “Freighters of Fortune”. This piece pays tribute not only to the Millennium Falcon but also to other notable starships like the Ghost, Outrider, and Fondor Haulcraft. Each of these vessels carries its own history and character, defined by the bold captains who helm them. This artwork celebrates their shared spirit of resilience, adventure, and ingenuity.”
Malcolm Tween - “Vader”
“I wanted to create an atmospheric and slightly abstract image, with the towering silhouette of the shuttle defining the space, and its shape almost mirroring Vader himself.”
Dianne Vaznelis - “The Force Arcana”
“I'm inspired by the way Star Wars legends blend the spiritual and magical with bold — sometimes gritty — sci-fi. For this piece, I wanted to lean into the magical side of the galaxy far, far away to connect some of our favorite characters and places to the major arcana of the tarot, with a motif that highlights their fantastical aspects. I hope that fans can take inspiration and guidance from these cards just as they do from the Star Wars universe.”
Ksenia Zelenstova - “The Travelers”
“Ever since the purrgil were first introduced in Star Wars Rebels I have been captivated by both their unique design and the idea of these original space travelers on their neverending path. As I was inspired to draw the iconic scene of Ahsoka connecting to the whales when pursuing her own journey, I was interested in trying to capture their contrasting coloring as it appeared in Rebels, as it was the design that first made me fall in love with these creatures. In the process of arranging them in their fluid dance around our heroine, the image reminded me of Koi fish. The symbolism associated with Koi, such as strength and perseverance, seemed particularly fitting for an Ahsoka-centric piece and her character arc, and traditional watercolor felt like the perfect medium to express that symbolism rooted in nature and water elements.”
Pre-orders will go live at StarWarsCelebration.com on March 5 at 6 p.m. PT and run through March 20 at 12 p.m. PT; all prints will be limited to 250 pieces, with 200 available for pre-order and pick up at the Art Show, and 50 reserved for sale at Celebration. All pre-orders are pick-up only (no pre-orders will be shipped).
Stay tuned to StarWars.com and StarWarsCelebration.com for more news on our favorite fan event in the galaxy, including more exciting announcements!
Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025 will be held April 18-20, 2025, at the Makuhari Messe in Japan.
