Artist Creates Sculptures Exclusively from Lego Bricks

Nathan Sawaya may have spent much of his professional life as a Wall Street lawyer. But since receiving his first Lego set at five years old, his passion for the little bricks has dominated his life.

“The Art of the Brick,” which opens at the Old Truman Brewery in London on September 26th, is Sawaya’s first exhibition in the UK and features large-scale sculptures made from thousands of lego bricks.

According to the Independent, the now 41-year-old artist’s unique works sell for five-figure sums and he has had solo exhibitions across the world. Among the most ambitious of Sawaya’s creations is a complete recreation of the New York City skyline, which he completed in his dorm room while in law school. He also previously worked at Legoland in California.

Describing an exhibition of Sawaya’s work in New York City that took place last year, the New York Times wrote:

It is difficult to pass a version of Rodin’s Thinker (4,332 pieces) or see Mr Sawaya’s life size piece Blue Guy Sitting (21,054 pieces) and not smile in amazement at the ambition or admire the skill. […] Bricks, once designed for children to build towns and buildings, are now used to evoke human shapes and brush strokes.

The artist told the Independent: “Part of my mission is to make art accessible. If someone sees a marble statue, they can appreciate it, but it’s doubtful they’ll go home and have marble they can start chipping at.”