Martín Kukso
via Creative Boom:
These weren't just Game Over screens; they were little moments of drama and character. When you could dance around the room and humiliate your opponents. Martín saw that when most of us were too busy being annoyed to notice.
What makes the leap to sculpture so inspired is the way it amplifies without distorting. The original pixel-art illustrations – credited to legendary Capcom artists Akiman and Kinu Nishimura – were already slightly caricatured, which gave them a playfulness that stopped them tipping into cruelty. (Although to be fair, I'd have gladly seen my opponents suffer more if I ever managed to beat them!)
Nevertheless, Martín has preserved that tone with care. "I wanted to bring that same energy into a different medium," he explains, "something that doesn't feel violent, but instead comes across as a bit playful." And it works. These heads are bruised and puffy and cross-eyed in a way that makes you grin rather than wince.
