Art of the Brick: A Lego Art Exhibit at the Boiler House

“It all starts with one brick,” are the words of Nathan Sawaya, the artist behind the prodigious Lego brick sculptures now on display at the Boiler House in Brick Lane. Originally a solicitor, Sawaya initially discarded the idea of pursuing a career in his artistic interests, until 2004, when he rekindled his enthusiasm and passion for building intricate artworks from materials as simple and common as Lego. The construction toys, so familiar to many households, form the modest foundations of Sawaya’s creations. This collection is the colourful proof that art can flourish from the most ordinary objects. Sawaya’s methodical approach involves visualising, taking notes and then impressively recreating solid as well as abstract concepts with millions of the trademark miniature blocks.

The touring exhibition, gathering an increasing number of items as time goes on, has now made its way to London. The choice of location couldn’t be more appropriate, not least because of the pun in the name Brick Lane itself. The display is set up in a space akin to a shipping container. Eschewing any additional adornments, the minimalistic style allows the complexity of the craftsmanship to stupefy visitors.

The itinerary begins with a brief video chronicling the rapid fortune of Sawaya’s work initially captivating American audiences before attracting international attention. His inspiring journey of reinvention, in life and career, is the narrative thread running through the exhibition, with the labels accompanying each piece bearing motivational quotes or anecdotes that underscore the value of going against the grain – such as crafting contemporary art from humble Lego. The first sections explore and depict deep emotions and personal states in connection with society and relationships. Prominent among these is Yellow, the emblematic statue of the exhibition, a man opening up to reveal an outpouring of bright bricks. Particularly eloquent are Building Red, a work-in-progress figure of a person, and Kiss, showing the interlocking and bridging of blocks between two people. In the Human Condition segment, we find Cracked and Incomplete, some of the most interesting pieces both for their introspective nature and for how they are constructed around voids and gaps.

A homage to traditional artistic canons is evident in the section Past Masters, featuring detailed Lego replicas of the Venus de Milo and Augustus of Prima Porta. In his renditions of The Great Wave of Kanagawa and a detail from the Sistine Chapel Ceiling, Sawaya employs the flat side of the bricks, for a finer design in elements like the sea’s spray and the contact of fingertips.

An intriguing part is In-Pieces, where Lego objects, displayed in the space, suspended or hung, appear as well in real-life photographs placed behind or beside the sculptures. The result is a series of images that exude genuineness, yet contain a pixelated intruder that is at the same time integrated and foreign.

Despite the tagline of “an immersive exhibition”, the concept is only really palpable in the final two segments, Skulls and Dinosaurium. Here the lights, mirrors, green backgrounds and synchronised score determine a sort of evolution from the previous room, blurring the lines between the fluid shapes of reality and the squared composition of the artworks, for an interplay that is both amusing and thought-provoking.

With the statues well-spaced and paired with succinct captions, the galleries offer an experience that can be enjoyed in roughly one hour, making for a playful, family-friendly exhibition to visit.

Cristiana Ferrauti

Art of the Brick: A Lego Art Exhibit is at the Boiler House from 6^th March 2024. For further information visit the exhibition’s website here.