Beyond the Lines: A Conversation Between FUTURA and VERDY on LEGO® Bricks and Creative Freedom.

In 2026, “LEGO® NINJAGO®” from the LEGO Group celebrated its 15th anniversary since the series’ debut. To mark this milestone, FUTURA—a legend who pioneered the New York graffiti scene—was appointed as the official creative collaborator and co-art creator. FUTURA is reportedly the first living artist to form a partnership with the LEGO Group. Coinciding with the unveiling of “Ninja of the Futura”—a work that blends his signature character, Pointman, with the LEGO® NINJAGO® universe—a conversation took place between FUTURA and VERDY, with whom he shares a close friendship. During the conversation, three art pieces were on display: FUTURA’s reinterpretations of the popular characters Kai, the Fire Ninja, and Nya, the Water Ninja, as well as his original character Pointman—all inspired by the LEGO® Ninjago universe.
They’ll talk about how they met, the thoughts they’ve poured into their characters, and the “freedom” that LEGO® bricks teach us.

Photo_Takaki Iwata
Text_Ryo Tajima (DMRT)
Edit_Hiroshi Yamamoto

Start creating with all your energy, without thinking about the final result

—VERDY, what were your impressions after actually seeing this work, “Ninja of the Futura”?

VERDY: I’d heard rumors for a while that FUTURA was collaborating with LEGO. About a week ago, I saw photos from the event on Instagram and watched some behind-the-scenes footage. So today, I came here looking forward to seeing the actual pieces. FUTURA’s artistic vision fits perfectly with the LEGO brand—it looks really cool.

FUTURA: Thank you. That makes me happy.

VERDY: I watched the video, too. When you received the offer for this project, did you come up with the idea right away? Or was it something you finally arrived at after giving it a lot of thought?

FUTURA: Two of the pieces here feature the LEGO® Ninjago® characters Kai and Nya. For me, the theme was how to express their elemental powers—one is fire, and the other is water. So, the color schemes for each element were clear. On the other hand, when it came to my own original pieces, I didn’t try to match them to the other characters—I created them with complete freedom. As VERDY probably knows, I’m pretty improvisational when I’m creating. I just start working and pour my energy into it. Of course, I never know exactly what the result will be. But I’m really happy I was able to create this piece.

VERDY: So, it was the usual production process, then. That’s why I realized once again that the work truly captures the essence of FUTURA.