Back in 1996, the world first witnessed Lara Croft – the dual-pistol wielding, posh-speaking, fearless archaeologist and heroine of the long-running Tomb Raider series. Since Lara’s manifestation from fantasy to reality by creator Toby Gard and the talented crew at Core Design, the curvy fortune hunter has gone from strength to strength.
Not only does she have ten games under her belt with another one on the way, she’s been adapted in a film that is to this day the highest-grossing videogame adaptation ever released. Videogames, Hollywood, comics, theme park rides – no one can deny that Lara Croft has become one of the most famous and recognizable video game characters in the history of the medium.
To commemorate the incredible 15 years that Lara has indulged in being a pop-culture icon, Crystal Dynamics, a Square Enix Studio is playing curator to a unique digital art exhibition, commissioning eight original pieces of art to be created by a selection of esteemed artists and released throughout this month. The pieces will be created to showcase the new vision for Lara Croft in the upcoming Tomb Raider title, whilst at the same time embracing the individual style of each of the selected artists.
“This is the perfect opportunity to celebrate Tomb Raiders’s history by looking at Lara’s promising future,” said Karl Stewart, Global Brand Director, Crystal Dynamics. “We can’t wait to share each artist’s unique interpretation of what it means to be Lara Croft.”
The exhibition has now begun, and the art can be viewed over the course of October at the official Tomb Raider site.
As a finale to the event, a limited selection of T-shirts and posters will be available for purchase from The Nerd Machine’s website with a portion of the proceeds to benefit Child’s Play charity.
The upcoming Tomb Raider title, which is a gritty prequel following a young Lara as an archaeology student stranded on a remote island, is currently in development and is slated for a late 2012 release.