One of the figurative sculptures at The Art of the Brick exhibition
Prepare to be amazed! If you thought building LEGO® models was child's play, don't miss 'The Art of the Brick', an exhibition of LEGO® sculptures by the American artist Nathan Sawaya. In keeping with the theme, the show takes place at The Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane and runs from 26th September 2014 to 4th January 2015.
Original pieces, conceived and designed by the artist, come together with interpretations of iconic sculptures, paintings and artefacts, to create a truly unforgettable experience.
His figurative sculptures are particularly thought-provoking, such as the yellow man looking skyward and opening his chest to the world, LEGO® pieces spilling out of him, or the green man, sitting with head bowed, melded with an open cabinet on his back. My favourite was the blue woman swimming, which I thought particularly beautiful.
Portrait at The Art of the Brick exhibition
The complexity and shapes conjured up by the artist have to be seen to be believed and the LEGO® versions of works of art, such as 'The Wave' by Japanese artist Hokusai and an ancient Greek urn depicting Ajax and Achilles playing dice, are impressive.
Each piece comes with information about the number of LEGO® bricks used and other interesting facts and figures about the sculpture.
A LEGO® enthusiast from a very early age, Nathan Sawaya left his job as a New York attorney 10 years ago to join the LEGO company as an artist, before branching out on his own six months later, and setting up his own studio. The LEGO Group has recognised him as one of the best LEGO® builders in the world.
Blue swimmer at The Art of the Brick exhibition
Despite having no official link to the Danish toy company, this unique exhibition is bound to pique your interest in these versatile building blocks. I saw this touring exhibition in New York earlier this year and it changed forever my view of LEGO® as a toy manufacturer. So much so, in fact, that I bought one of LEGO®'s architectural models, which I am currently building in my spare time. It is extremely addictive!
Book your tickets for this exhibition in advance at
www.artofthebrick.co.uk.