Some artists use oil paint, some use clay, while others use stainless steel and wood to craft their art – but not renowned New York City artist Nathan Sawaya. He uses LEGOs. Yes – the same kind that you played with as a child.

Commonly referred to as the brick artist, Sawaya creates life-size sculptures and portraits from this children’s toy. Expanding the imagination of adults, and proving that there is a child in each of us, he surpasses artistic conventionalism in the modern age by taking a simplistic material and turning it into a living, breathing masterpiece.

Currently touring Australia and working on a movie, his work has become a nationwide phenomena spanning from museums and conventions to the New York Public Library and the Hero Complex Film Festival in Los Angeles.

Here is an exclusive look into the artist who left his career as a lawyer in the vibrant city and decided to make every day, a day of full-time play.

GALO: When did you first become fascinated with art? Did this love develop in early childhood?

Nathan Sawaya: I was an art kid growing up. I was always drawing, painting and making things with my hands. Growing up in rural Oregon gave me a lot of time to create my own art and explore creativity with all kinds of materials — including a certain plastic construction toy.

GALO: You started off as a lawyer in New York City, but then switched to your artistic fascination with LEGO. What drove you to leave your corporate job and venture into a creative craft?

NS: Being a lawyer was not terribly creative work for me. I would come home from the law firm at the end of the day and need an expressive outlet for the non-legal part of my mind. I found myself doing sculptures out of a variety of media. One day I challenged myself to create a large scale sculpture using the LEGO bricks from my childhood. The sculpture got a great reaction from friends and family, and they encouraged me to do more. I put together a web site of my works, brickartist.com, and soon I was getting commissions from all over the world. When my web site crashed from too many hits, I realized it was time to leave the law firm, and play with bricks full time.

GALO: What was the first brick art piece that you ever created and why? Would you say this is your most beloved piece, since it was your first?

NS: I had done a lot of small art pieces as a child, but the first large scale piece I did out of bricks was a self-portrait in shades of black, white and gray. I chose this because I wanted a familiar subject matter that was easily accessible. All I had to do was look in the mirror to find it. Okay, and maybe, I’m a bit narcissistic. As for choosing a favorite, well, I love all of my works. They are my children, so I cannot pick just one.

GALO: Why LEGO? What appeals to you the most when working with this unique material?

NS: I like using the bricks as a medium because I enjoy seeing people’s reactions to artwork created from something with which they are familiar. Everyone can relate to it since it is a toy that many children have at home. I want to elevate this simple plaything to a place it has never been before. I also appreciate the cleanliness of the medium — the right angles, the distinct lines.  As so often in life, it is a matter of perspective. Up close, the shape of the brick is distinctive.  But from a distance, those right angles and distinct lines change to curves.

GALO: How many pieces of LEGO bricks on average go into one of your sculptures?

NS: A sculpture of a life-size human figure uses about 25,000 bricks. However, the largest work I have crafted to date was a 53 foot long image, using almost 500,000 individual LEGO pieces.

GALO: What is your creative process like before you start each project and whilst working on it?

NS: The creative process starts with an idea. I get most excited by the initial idea and design phase. I do a lot of sketching to try and get an idea of what the finished piece will look like.

GALO: Your artwork is vibrant in color and life-like due to its 3-dimensional structure. What techniques do you use to achieve this composition? How do you choose colors? Does this require thoughtful consideration or just impulsiveness?

It really just depends on the sculpture. I do put a great deal of thought into the colors used for the works.  I, of course, use the LEGO spectrum for my range of hues, and this provides a creative diving board from where to start.

GALO: On your website you mention that you like to tell stories through your artwork. What type of stories do you most like to convey and why?

NS: It depends on the particular piece. Each piece has a different story.  For instance, my sculpture, The Courage Within, is about the transitions one can go through in life.  Specifically the metamorphosis I went through in my transitions from attorney to artist.

GALO: Where do you draw your inspiration from –any contemporary or modern artists’ influences?

NS: Many of my works center on the phenomena of how everyday life, people and raw emotion are intertwined.  Often my art is a reenactment of my personal feelings. I am inspired by my own experiences, emotions and the journeys I am taking. I have been heavily influenced by sculptors Tom Friedman and Antony Gormley.

GALO: Describe your artwork in three words.

NS: Just for fun.

GALO: You are currently working on a collaborative project with two filmmakers, Chris Nash and Martin Anthony, designing brick artwork for their new film, Daddy War Blocks, which deals with an anti-social man creating LEGO sculptures that come to life, much like your artwork. Can you tell us a little about this side project? What sort of artwork are you creating specifically?

NS: I am excited to be doing something outside of my comfort zone. I was approached to create some of the art for the film, but as discussions went on, I felt I wanted to take on a stronger role and am now producing the film. Specifically I will be creating several sculptures that will play important parts in the story.

GALO: When can we expect to see this movie in theaters? Will it be shown nationwide or through limited screenings?

NS: We hope to see it in theaters by the end of next year. Nationwide?  Worldwide.

GALO: You’ve had countless exhibitions, been commissioned to create artwork for the likes of Donald Trump and former Fall Out Boy drummer, Pete Wentz, and have had your life-size Conan O’Brien sculpture inducted in the Museum of Conan Art. What would you say is your favorite memory to date?

NS: It is impossible to pick one memory. It has been a roller coaster ride of a career. Meeting my girlfriend is probably my favorite memory so far. We met on the set of a TV show where we were both guests.

GALO: You have an upcoming museum show in Topeka, Kansas at the Mulvane Art Museum featuring 28 brick sculptures. What sort of sculptures can museum goers expect to see? Is there a theme behind this exhibition?

NS: If there is any theme to this exhibition it might just be “fun.” The exhibition is comprised of a wide variety of work, including some thought provoking sculptures, some whimsical pieces and some avant-garde works. However, what I genuinely love about this show is that there is something in it for every member of the family.

GALO: How long did it take to create each piece featured in the exhibition?

NS: The pieces in this exhibition were created over a four year period.  The last four years. Not consecutively.

GALO: Is there a certain message that you hope that viewers take away with each showcasing of your artwork?

NS: I like people to experience emotion with my art.  I hope that viewers explore their own emotions when viewing my work. But I also hope they have fun.

GALO: What will be your next step artistically? In other words, what do you have planned for the near future? Can we expect a NYC exhibition soon?

NS: I am starting to work and combine different media with my works. In addition to collaborating on the film, I am also collaborating with world renowned photographer, Dean West, on a special project. We are working on an exhibition that uses LEGO bricks in a way that I haven’t seen before. I have done several exhibitions in NYC over the past few years. We are currently interviewing venues for the premiere of the Dean West collaboration in NYC before the end of this current year.

For information on upcoming tours and events, please visit the artist’s official web site at http://brickartist.com

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