Sun Wukong, aka the Monkey King, or just plain Monkey, is the most enduring mythological hero in the world, inspiring so many retellings, including LEGO’s own Monkey Kid franchise. Chinese Builder Jin Chen took on the legendary character at the height of his power, armed with the
Ruyi Jingu Bang staff and standing atop a fallen demon. Monkey’s white face markings are based on the traditional depiction seen in Chinese Opera.
Jin’s makes excellent use of the range of elements in pearl gold to sculpt Monkey’s ornate armor, tightly packing every surface with horns and shuriken. The tattered cape is especially dramatic with its mix of rounded tail elements and angular plates.
Jin’s skill at mixing elements from across the full LEGO range really comes through on the base, where dragon jaws and constraction armor mingle with plates, bananas, and even minifig hair. The builder deliberately tried to avoid the techniques on his last large white head build.
A WIP picture offers insights into how Jin approached the underlying “skeleton” using a mix of Technic, ball joints, and clips to find the right balance between organic shaping and stability.
The finished model is a wonder to behold, a fitting tribute to the Great Sage Equal to Heaven and a wonderful first build of the year from Jin.
