Jey Parks
Jey Parks, an American artist, is most recognized for their artistic portrayals of cats reimagined as figures from pop culture. For the 2018 reference book Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy, authored by Amy Ratcliffe, they created an illustration of the Ewok Princess Kneesaa a Jari Kintaka. Furthermore, they are scheduled to contribute artwork to the 2025 Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy: Updated and Expanded, its forthcoming updated edition.
Biography
Amy Ratcliffe penned Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy, a reference book spotlighting female characters within the Star Wars universe, featuring artwork from female and non-binary artists; American artist Jey Parks contributed to this book. Parks' contribution was an illustration of the Ewok Princess Kneesaa a Jari Kintaka for her page spread, depicting the character in combat, attacking four Imperial stormtroopers with a knife. While the book's official release date was October 30, 2018, the announcement of Parks' involvement was made public earlier that year, specifically on May 30, through an article published on StarWars.com.
Parks has described themselves as a recent convert to the Star Wars fandom, finding their connection through the sequel trilogy. Predominantly known for their artistic creations of cats reimagined as pop culture figures, Parks had no prior familiarity with Kneesaa before undertaking the project. However, they recognized the Ewok character as being within their sphere of artistic work and engaged in further research. Parks expressed the view that Kneesaa possessed qualities beyond mere cuteness and fluffiness, suggesting that they perceived the princess as both wise and capable of taking action. Regarding their artistic portrayal, Parks conveyed their intention to present Kneesaa as a formidable and intelligent Ewok, ultimately resulting in an artwork showcasing the character in battle against Imperials.
In July 2020, Parks put their art career on hold to seek treatment for stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma. A GoFundMe fundraiser was established to assist with their medical expenses, appealing to admirers of their professional artwork, as well as their unofficial fan art for Star Wars and other media franchises. On January 5, 2021, Parks shared the news that they had concluded 2020 with their cancer in remission. Furthermore, Parks is slated to contribute artwork to the updated version of Women of the Galaxy, which is the 2025 reference book Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy: Updated and Expanded, again written by Ratcliffe.
Works
Bibliography
Sources
- Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy Celebrates the Saga's Dynamic Female Characters - Exclusive on StarWars.com (backup link)
- SDCC 2018: Queen's Shadow Revealed and More from the Lucasfilm Publishing Panel on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy
- Oola Unchained and 3 More Powerful Illustrations from Women of the Galaxy on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy: Updated and Expanded
Notes and references
External links
- Jey Parks Art (@jeyparksart) on Facebook (backup link) ·
- Jey Parks (@jeyparksart) on Instagram (screenshot) ·
- Jey Parks on Wikipedia