If you think LEGO® is just for kids, think again. The Art of the Brick has officially landed on The Headrow, and it’s turning those little plastic bricks into something truly extraordinary.
Created by former lawyer turned artist Nathan Sawaya, this globally acclaimed exhibition brings over 70 sculptures to life using nothing but LEGO bricks… and a huge dose of imagination.
One moment, you’re ducking beneath the towering bricks of a giraffe, half-expecting it to bow its head to you. Turn a corner, and you’re face to face with a life-size tiger crouched as if it’s about to leap from its position and prowl through the gallery.
A few steps later, you’re staring at a pixelated but strangely powerful version of The Scream, a familiar look somehow made even more intriguing by the medium. It’s like walking through someone’s imagination, if that someone had unlimited LEGO and a ton of talent.
“There are no rules to art for me it’s LEGO, but you can use anything that inspires you,” says Sawaya. “It all starts with one brick.”
While the creatures and wild builds are great for kids (and a great Instagram post), there’s a deeper side, too. Sawaya has put together sculptures like like Circle, Square and Triangle Torso to explore identity.
While Sawaya presents this idea in a way that makes us think, he does so in a way that is fun and child-friendly too…
“Let’s celebrate our differences. If everyone looked the same, it wouldn’t be a very interesting world, would it? So what defines you? And in what color? The circle, the square, and the triangle are the fundamental building blocks of all things. And the colours red, blue and yellow are the primary colours of our world.”
Sawaya delves into emotion through the work of Small Peace and Pointing in the same way, too.“Following a path is important, but sometimes you need to point your own way to go. What does it take to create Peace? The combination of all the colours of the world, of course! This sculpture was created from thousands of recycled bricks.”
It’s art that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still packs a punch.
Leeds doesn’t often get touring exhibitions of this scale and global buzz, so it’s a real treat to have The Art of the Brick right in the City Centre. Whether you’re an art buff, a LEGO lover, or just fancy seeing a shark, rhino and The Scream in the same afternoon, it’s well worth a visit.
Location: Unit 3, Broadgate, 22-26 The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 8EQ
Tickets: https://feverup.com/m/393925
Photography by Philippa Platt.
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