Last Updated on February 4, 2018 by Kimberly Stroh
The Walt Disney Family Museum, located in San Francisco, just announced an original exhibition of works from one of the most accomplished and versatile character animators working today, Andreas Deja. On view from March 23 to October 4, 2017, Deja View: The Art of Andreas Deja will showcase original works on paper and maquettes of Deja’s most iconic Disney characters, from menacing villains such as Scar and Jafar to larger-than-life muscle men like Gaston and Hercules, and the much beloved Mama Odie and Lilo Pelekai.
Jafar Marquette ©Disney
Andreas Deja’s Story
In 1967, when Deja was 13 years old and living in Germany, Walt Disney’s The Jungle Bookinspired him to become an animator for the Walt Disney Animation Studios. He wrote the company a now well-known letter to inquire about the application process, and he began to realize the dedication and skill it would take to get there.
“The day I received a letter back from Walt Disney Productions expressing the necessity to become a master in the mechanics of drawing, it lit a fire in me to truly become an outstanding animator,” said Deja. “After years of art school and dedicating my personal time to studying animal anatomy and behavior, I was accepted into the animation training program at The Walt Disney Studios in August 1980 and didn’t look back once.”
You can visit the Disney family museum for the new exhibit, Deja View: The Art of Andreas Deja, from March 23 to October 4, 2017.
Where:
The Walt Disney Family Museum
104 Montgomery Street in the Presidio
San Francisco, CA 94129
When:
March 23 to October 4, 2017
For more information, please visit the exhibit’s website.