Nathan Sawaya
Nathan Sawaya
Nathan Sawayais an American-based artist who builds custom three-dimensional sculptures and large-scale mosaics from popular everyday items and is best known for his work with standard LEGO toy bricks. His art creations are commissioned by companies, charities, individuals, museums and galleries all over the world...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionSculptor
Date of Birth10 July 1973
CityColville, WA
CountryUnited States of America
I think watching Channing Tatum caress his Lego Oscar statue will be something I won't forget. Even if I try.
I am an artist who works with Lego.
I split my commission and personal work about 50 per cent each. It is important to get that balance in life.
I see the world in rectangles. If I am talking to someone, I find myself analysing their face, working out how to recreate it in bricks.
I have about 4 million Lego bricks. And then a few million in storage in case something comes up. I still pay for them. I buy my bricks just like everyone else. It's by far my biggest capital expense.
One of the reasons I love using LEGO bricks is because it makes the art very relatable and accessible; folks can connect with the art almost on a different level because they have played with it or their kids have played with it.
Inspiration is tough to define, it comes from so many different places. I have multiple exhibitions touring the globe, so I do travel quite a bit and travel is a great way to find inspiration.
THE ART OF THE BRICK exhibition is accessible because it engages the child in all of us while simultaneously illuminating sophisticated and complex concepts. Everyone can relate to the medium since it is a toy that many children have at home. But my goal with this exhibition when it first debuted in 2007 was to elevate this simple plaything to a place it has never been before.
The fact that you can take LEGO bricks from thirty years ago and they still snap together with the same new LEGO brick that comes out, I mean what type of product can span generations like that, there is something really special to it.
I have realised that my worst day as an artist is still better than my best day as a lawyer.
LEGO is universal. So many people enjoy it, from all different walks of life, all different ages, all different cultures. When I was in Africa, I had LEGO bricks with me and I met some people who had never heard of LEGO, they had never seen it before and yet as soon as I gave them a few bricks, they immediately got it.
Over the years I have learned that creating art has made me happy. I used to be a lawyer and I'm much happier being an artist.
I like using LEGO bricks as a medium because I enjoy seeing people’s reaction to artwork created from something with which they are familiar. …My goal is to elevate this simple plaything to a place it has never been before. I also appreciate the cleanliness of the LEGO® brick. The right angles. The distinct lines. But, from a distance, those right angles and distinct lines offer new perspectives, changing to curves.
I'm trying to inspire as many people as I can. I want the viewer to enjoy the art and I want the whole family to have something to react to. I hope that folks go home and do a bit of doodling and creating on their own.