LG ELECTRONICS ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF INAUGURAL 'WONDERBOX SHOWCASE' DIGITAL ART COMPETITION

Winning Artwork from the College-Level Digital Artists Featured on LG's Times Square Billboard in New York City

NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Electronics USA has announced the winners of its "LG Wonderbox Showcase," a unique creative competition for college-level art students that encourages innovative approaches to communicating their ideas via 3D digital art that illustrates the spirit of LG's "Life's Good" brand promise.

The winning artwork will be displayed on LG's Times Square billboard through mid-January. The prizes awarded were first place, $25,000; second place, $10,000 and third place, $5,000. Winners also received a 27-inch LG Ultrafine Nano 4K monitor, ideal for creating digital animation art.

Taking home first place for their submission, "Rocket Ship," is a married couple from Utah – Evan West from Utah Valley University and Ashley West from Brigham Young University. Evan is a motion designer who wants to pursue his love for animation and design working at a top-tier motion design studio, and Ashley is an illustrator, textile artist and clothing designer.

Awarded second place is Sera Mun, a student at Maryland Institute College of Art and creator of the submission, "Gnomes." Mun is from Seoul, South Korea and moved to Baltimore to study animation. Chloe Ko is the third-place winner for her digital artwork titled, "Giant Present." Born and raised in South Korea, Ko currently attends School of Visual Arts in New York City and specializes in 3D motion graphics and Houdini FX.

The inaugural competition was created to inspire creative designers and artists, and to help kick-start their careers in animation. Students were asked to submit "wonderbox" animations creating their own digital worlds, opening to reveal a moment that invites curiosity, then amazes, engages and delights viewers — taking them to a whole new world of possibilities.

"We wanted to participate in the LG Wonderbox Showcase because it was an exciting way to combine our talents," said West. "Our artwork features a rocket on an exciting journey through space. The theme of space travel represents forward progress in all aspects of life. As we have worked to achieve lofty goals and tackle challenging problems, our vision of who we can become is expanded and we come to better understand what our purpose is on this earth. We want to continually explore uncharted territories, innovate to find solutions to life's problems, and share beautiful creations with the world."

The competition submissions were reviewed by three acclaimed creative artists with backgrounds in design and animation: noted director and 3D/VFX artist Clinton Jones; award-winning and Emmy-nominated digital artist Penelope Nederlander; and Bradley Munkowitz, also known as GMUNK, a visionary whose creativity spans a diverse range of mediums. The judges were an integral part of the Wonderbox Showcase from reviewing every submission to mentoring the finalists.

The winning artwork was revealed on LG's billboard during a celebration at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. The students, families, friends and judges flew in from around the country to see the original content displayed for the first time. Following the big reveal, finalists were presented with their winning checks from Chulho Huh, corporate marketing vice president, LG Electronics USA.

"At LG, our mission is simple: to showcase 'Innovation for a Better Life' – not just through our products, but also through initiatives like this one, which creates a platform for students and creators to showcase their innovation and creativity on a bigger scale," Huh said.  "This year's winning artwork will truly make viewers feel inspired by what's possible in the future."

For more information on LG's Wonderbox Showcase 2022 and to view the finalists' artwork, visit www.lg.com/us/wonderbox.

LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a $63 billion global innovator in technology and manufacturing. In the United States, LG sells a wide range of innovative home appliances, home entertainment products, commercial displays, air conditioning systems, energy solutions and vehicle components. LG is 2022 ENERGY STAR^® Partner of the Year-Sustained Excellence. The company's commitment to environmental sustainability and its "Life's Good" marketing theme encompass how LG is dedicated to people's happiness by exceeding expectations today and tomorrow. www.LG.com.

Media Contacts:

LG Electronics USA  

John I. Taylor
+1 847 941 8181
[email protected] 

Roberto Munoz
+1 516 949 9199
[email protected]

SOURCE LG Electronics USA