We were lucky to catch up with Nathan Sawaya recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nathan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?

I used to practice corporate law in New York City. When I came home at night I would need a creative outlet. I needed to do something that was different from my work at the law firm. Something that would make me happy. Some nights I would draw, some nights I would paint, and some nights I would sculpt. One day I challenged myself to sculpt out of this toy from my childhood: LEGO bricks. I started doing large scale sculptures. Most nights I would find myself snapping LEGO bricks together even before I took off my suit or ate dinner. It felt good after a long day of negotiating contracts to build something with my hands.

Slowly but surely my New York apartment started to fill up with sculptures. The artwork consumed almost every room. I posted photos of the works on my website to showcase my artwork in a virtual gallery to friends and family. When my site crashed one day from too many hits, I realized it was time to leave the law firm and pursue my passion to become a full time artist. I quit my job as a lawyer, opened an art studio, and took the leap of faith.

I quickly learned that LEGO bricks are a great medium for creating artwork. People connect to this type of art because they are familiar with the toy. Art out of this familiar toy makes the art very accessible. It allows people to connect to the art in a way they might not with other traditional media. For example, when people view a marble sculpture they can admire and appreciate it, but chances are they don’t have marble at home. But when a visitor sees my art out of LEGO bricks, it is more likely they have LEGO bricks at home and hopefully they are inspired to create.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Nathan Sawaya is an award-winning artist who creates awe-inspiring works of art using only toy LEGO®️ bricks. His multiple global touring exhibitions, ART OF THE BRICK, have become an international phenomenon reinventing the way people see both LEGO® bricks and art.

Sawaya is the first artist to take LEGO® into the art world and his unique exhibition focuses exclusively on LEGO® as a medium. The tour has broken attendance records around the world and the curated collection of large-scale sculptures, life-like portraits, and wildly imaginative installations have been obsessively and painstakingly crafted and are both beautiful and playful.

Since his first solo exhibition, Sawaya’s artwork has grabbed the attention of art critics and pop culture enthusiasts alike. His artwork has been shown in major art institutions throughout the world, and held in the collection of both prominent private and public collections.

Sawaya is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, recognizing his artwork and cultural achievements. He has earned a top position in the world of contemporary art and has created a new dimension by merging Pop Art and Surrealism in awe inspiring and groundbreaking ways. His art consists of playing with the material, color, movement, light and perspective. His sculpture ‘Yellow’ has become instantly recognizable the world over.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Throughout my own personal journey, I have learned that art is not optional. It’s not a nice to have, it’s a must have. When I was an attorney, I wasn’t happy, but creating art made me happy and I eventually changed my career to focus on making art. I’m not the only one who is positively impacted by exercising creativity. It has been proven time and time again that student’s do better in schools when they are exposed to art. Higher test scores and graduation rates result when art is part of the curriculum. And creating art is often used in many types of therapy and recovery. Creating art makes you happier. Creating art makes you smarter. Creating art makes you healthier. Clearly, creating art makes you a better person. I want to inspire people to make art, so that they make a better world. Lofty? Sure, I know, but why not?

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I’m often asked what it takes to do my job. Kids often ask “How can I be you?” They are essentially asking what advice I would give them for exploring their own creative side with LEGO bricks. Creativity and imagination are key. But one also needs patience.

When I am working on these sculptures out of LEGO, they can take days, weeks, sometimes months to finish. They are not quick projects that can be finished in an evening. I go into these projects knowing they will take a lot of time. And while I am working on a sculpture, I know that there will be problems. I glue the bricks together as I build, which means if I make a mistake, I have to chisel apart the bricks that don’t look right. It can be heartbreaking, but sometimes I have to chisel apart hours or even days worth of work. You must have patience for this job. When the artwork doesn’t look right, I will remove what is wrong, and start again. You can let it get you down. You must accept the mistake and carry on brick by brick. It is a slow process, but I understand that from the start.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://brickartist.com
• Instagram: @nathansawaya

Image Credits

Mitch Haddad

Mitch Haddad

Erica Ann Photography

Erica Ann Photography

Mitch Haddad

Mitch Haddad