LONDON — Stuart Freeborn, a pioneering movie makeup artist who created creatures for ‘‘2001: A Space Odyssey’’ and the ‘‘Star Wars’’ films, died.

LucasFilm said Wednesday that Mr. Freeborn, 98, had passed away, ‘‘leaving a legacy of unforgettable contributions.’’

George Lucas said in a statement that Mr. Freeborn was ‘‘a makeup legend’’ whose artistry will live on forever.

For ‘‘Star Wars,’’ he helped create wise Jedi knight Yoda — a diminutive figure whose features were partly inspired by Albert Einstein and partly by Mr. Freeborn himself — and 7-foot-tall wookie Chewbacca.

During a six-decade career, Mr. Freeborn also designed the apes in a memorable sequence of Stanley Kubrick’s space epic ‘‘2001.’’