{"id":122107,"date":"2026-02-27T15:08:24","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T20:08:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=122107"},"modified":"2026-02-27T15:10:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T20:10:21","slug":"interview-pop-culture-icon-nathan-sawaya-talks-art-brick-opening-toronto-march-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/02\/27\/interview-pop-culture-icon-nathan-sawaya-talks-art-brick-opening-toronto-march-5\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Pop Culture Icon Nathan Sawaya Talks About Art Of The Brick \u2014 Opening In Toronto March 5"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Nathan
Nathan Sawaya\u2019s Art of the Brick (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The internationally acclaimed exhibition Art of the Brick comes to Toronto with an opening date of March 5. The show, composed entirely of sculptures made with more than 1 million LEGO\u00ae pieces, is the brainchild of artist Nathan Sawaya<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The limited engagement show, covering more than 1,800 square feet and including more than 130 pieces, (one created specially for the Toronto exhibition), is presented by global curator, producer and distributor Exhibition Hub in partnership with tech discovery platform, Fever. It takes place at YZD in North York.<\/p>\n

Sawaya\u2019s unique artwork first gained international attention in 2007, and shows of his work have since toured around the globe. Art of the Brick on tour has been viewed by over 10 million people worldwide.<\/p>\n

His works include both large-scale and smaller pieces, and include reproductions of famous works of art like Michelangelo’s David, Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, portraits, whimsical pieces like his enormous Tyrannosaurus Rex, and more.<\/p>\n

His sculptures are both beautiful and playful, and his show includes an interactive station that lets the audience get in on the fun as well.<\/p>\n

LV caught up with Nathan to ask him about his work.<\/p>\n

\"Nathan
Nathan Sawaya\u2019s Art of the Brick (Photo: Nicolas Jacquemin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Artist Nathan Sawaya: The Interview<\/h2>\n

Nathan Sawaya was born in Colville, Washington, and grew up in Veneta Oregon. He attention New York University, where he earned Bachelor\u2019s and law degrees. He began his professional career as a practicing lawyer in Hollywood.<\/p>\n

In 2004, he left the legal world behind to become a full-time LEGO artist, the first to take it on as his sole artistic medium. After a short stint working with the LEGO Group, he struck out on his own, opening an art studio in New York City. He is not an employee of the toy company, but it recognized by The LEGO Group as a LEGO Certified Professional.<\/p>\n

Today, his art is shown in prominent art institutions, and held in major public and private collections.<\/p>\n

How did he come to make the switch from law to LEGO art?<\/p>\n

\u201cI took some art classes, but in the end I got a poli-sci major,\u201d he recalls. \u201cI was coming out of college and I didn\u2019t know what to do, and went to law school.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a couple of years working as a lawyer, he began to feel the pull of art again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted a creative endeavour, especially after work,\u201d he says. He\u2019d sculpt, paint, and draw in his free time. Eventually, that led to… LEGO.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought of this toy from my childhood,\u201d he says. He began to experiment with making various types of sculptures with it.<\/p>\n

He enjoyed working for the LEGO company. \u201cIt was a great learning experience,\u201d he says. But, Sawaya wanted to choose his own topics and themes. He left the company after six months to focus on making his art, and the occasional commissioned work.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get to pick and choose,\u201d he says. \u201cI put a little website together to showcase my projects.\u201d<\/p>\n

He never thought it would lead to a full-time career in a completely different direction. \u201cIt is the dream,\u201d he says. \u201cFor sure. I never really expected it to become what it\u2019s become.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eventually, his reputation grew to the point that he was invited to show his work.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I had my first solo show I thought, this is amazing, but it\u2019s probably the only solo show that I\u2019ll ever do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Nathan
Nathan Sawaya\u2019s Art of the Brick (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Popularity<\/h3>\n

That first solo show was only the beginning, however. What he\u2019d underestimated was its appeal to the public in general.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s a kind of art that really connects with people,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s absolutely about democratizing the art, in the sense that everyone has played with the brick. They\u2019re familiar with it as a toy.\u201d<\/p>\n

As time went on, his popularity grew exponentially. It not only strikes a chord with so many people, it\u2019s inspiring.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople write me, the art really inspired me to go home and become really creative,\u201d he says. LEGO, as he points out, is a medium that\u2019s pretty much universally available, unlike many traditional materials, particularly when it comes to sculpture.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople don\u2019t have marble at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Responding to the feedback, he began to incorporate interactive stations in his shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think when you have a medium like LEGO bricks, there\u2019s almost an expectation that people will want to get their hands on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a very tactile medium, as he points out, and there will be two stations at the Toronto show where participants can play and experiment with LEGO bricks.<\/p>\n

His Art<\/h3>\n

As he relates, his own LEGO sculptures began quite simply.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would look around my apartment and say, oh there\u2019s an apple \u2014 can I build an apple out of LEGO bricks?\u201d<\/p>\n

Through trial and experimentation, he learned how to create curved forms. The next step was scaling up objects around him, such as creating a LEGO apple the size of a basketball. His experiments became more and more complex over time.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can I take something as complex at the human body and recreate it with LEGO art?\u201d he wondered. It added to the level of expression in his works as time went on.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I can evoke emotion with the viewer, then it becomes something more than just a toy you play with,\u201d Sawaya says.<\/p>\n

The Toronto Show<\/h3>\n

The show in Toronto includes works from various points in his artistic career.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are several works that are very near and dear to me,\u201d Nathan says.<\/p>\n

Some are inspired by emotions rather than physical objects, such as depression or happiness. Then, there is a much more playful side.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand my audience,\u201d he says. \u201cI understand that there\u2019s going to be kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hence, the Tyrannosaurus Rex and other kid-friendly themes. The show also includes a couple of galleries related to art history, including the replicated Van Goghs and others.<\/p>\n

\u201cI took on some of art history and tried to replicate it with LEGO,\u201d he says. To do so, he took the 2-dimensional subject matter and made it 3D. In his take on Grant Wood\u2019s iconic American Gothic, for example, he created 2D figures that emerge from the background.<\/p>\n

\"Nathan
Nathan Sawaya\u2019s Art of the Brick (Photo: Nicolas Jacquemin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Future Plans<\/h3>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a long list of ideas that have percolated over the years,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m always trying to push the envelope.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the past, he\u2019s experimented in various ways, like his project with working with Miami-based photographer Dean West<\/a>. The duo collaborated to incorporate Sawaya\u2019s LEGO works into West\u2019s hyper-realistic photos.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love taking on projects like that, where I\u2019m using LEGO in a new way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feedback from the many emails he receives also tells him what his public is looking for next. \u201cI take on commissions every now and then,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no limit to what can be done.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the real-life constraints is time. A life-sized human form, for example, requires about two to three weeks of work.<\/p>\n

\u201cI usually have multiple projects going in he studio.<\/p>\n

Another limitation is palette. \u201cAs this type of artist, I am subject to a colour palette that is defined by a company in Denmark,\u201d he laughs. There is no mixing of colours, in other words.<\/p>\n

The limitations become part of the work.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a part of the challenge of using LEGO.\u201d<\/p>\n