#ad KAUCZUK X NIANTIC 🔥🌎 I'm excited to announce that I'm partnering up with @nianticlabs (the company behind games like Pokémon GO & more) and an amazing mental health charity @Safe In Our World . Together, they're running a campaign highlighting how friendships in gaming positively impact mental health. I received the honour of being able to create a piece of artwork that embodies the idea of friendship and community. The painting was based on the real-life story of Melanie, who struggled with chronic stress and anxiety. However, through her resilience, positive attitude, and the help of her fellow Pokémon GO community, she was able to overcome this difficult time in her life. I took inspiration from her personal experience and turned it into a carefully structured piece of art. The main element of the artwork is a PokéStop which consists of multiple rings, each symbolising a different aspect of Melanie's story. Melanie takes the central focal point of the artwork, representing her bright spirit. She's surrounded by 3 groups of my flagship doodles: 1) "The Storm" - standing for the negative state of mind, anxiety and stress (lower half-ring) 2) "Inner Strength" - focusing on what helped Melanie get better on a personal level e.g. physical activity, playing Pokémon GO and open-mindedness (upper half-ring) 3) "Community" - the outer ring that emphasises the importance of social interaction through gaming on one's mental well-being. Without her dedicated community, Melanie would have found it difficult to reach a positive outcome on her personal journey. This ring engulfs everything inside of it to symbolise the support such powerful friendships can provide. I'm a person who deeply values the importance of mental health and when I was approached by Niantic about this opportunity, I knew this was going to be something incredible. Honestly, it feels like one of those "full-circle" moments. I've been a player of Pokémon GO since the game launched in 2016 and I've been fortunate to be part of many welcoming Pokémon GO communities. There's something truly remarkable about seeing people from many different backgrounds come together to play their favourite game, tackle challenges or simply have fun. I'm very grateful to be a part of this campaign and thank you to Niantic for believing in me! Artwork details for nerds: - painted with various Posca, Tombow Molotow, and Arrtx paint markers on high-quality stretched canvas (70x70cm) - roughly 50 hours of work between design and execution #GamingCommunity #Niantic #SafeInOurWorld #GamingCommunity #EvolvingTogether #PokemonGo #Artwork #DoodleArt #Painting #Inspiring #ContemporaryArt #CharacterDesign #Art #Posca #Paint #Painter #Doodle #Doodles #Canvas #Custom #Kauczuk #MentalHealth - @thekauczuk