Known for guarding treasures and priceless possessions and the symbol for the city of Malmö, the Griffin was a perfect match for Massive when designing new anniversary gifts.
But how does the Griffin connect to Massive, and how did a 190-meter building became inspiration for one of the Massive employees designing one of the Griffins in this article? Find out in this article!
In the past, whenever our employees have celebrated their fifth-year anniversary at Massive Entertainment, they have received a plaque with a golden gun. As the studio grew and matured, we wanted to reward our employees with something new – something that represented both Massive and the city where we live and work.
Going all the way back to the 15th century, the Griffin has been the symbol and coat of arms for Malmö, the city in southern Sweden where Massive is located. Griffins are known for guarding treasures and priceless possessions, and the legends say that they are powerful and majestic creatures. So, it only felt natural for us to choose this mythological creature as the theme for our new anniversary gifts.
We then decided to hold an internal contest at the studio to truly connect the new Griffin statues to our studio. In the end, three winners for the 5-, 10- and 20-year anniversary statues were picked.
They were designed by Xenia Stroganova, Jefferson Estrabinio and Tony Camehl respectively, and all three captures the exact spirit of the Griffin that Massive stands for.
“I took inspiration from Malmö’s very own Turning Torso when designing my Griffin,” says Jefferson about his design.
“I’ve always been in awe of its upward spiral sense of movement, and I wanted to capture that same feeling in my statue. The most fun of the design was sculpting it and making it very dynamic.”
I took inspiration from Malmö’s very own Turning Torso when designing my Griffin, its upward spiral sense of movement. I wanted to capture that same feeling in my statue.
“The biggest challenge was the design/conceptualization itself. I got so used to sculpting other people’s designs and I’m not as confident with doing my own. But I always get a sense of accomplishment getting my work out of the virtual world and being able to touch and feel them physically. I’m amazed at what 3D printing technology can do to bridge the gap between those two worlds,” says Jefferson.
This week, 45 new Griffins (and two rings for those celebrating 15 years) will be handed out.
We’d like to congratulate our co-workers on their anniversaries and thank them for all the work they have done over the years!
