The Art of the Brick is a unique art exhibit featuring over a million Lego bricks. Artist Nathan Sawaya has created over 90 works of art out of Legos, including both original pieces and reproductions of famous masterpieces. A traveling exhibit, the collection has visited over 100 cities in 24 countries. When I found out it was coming to Raleigh, I knew I had to take my Lego and art loving boys.
We decided to visit the exhibit on our drive back to Charlotte from NJ. I always try to break up the trip with an interesting stop somewhere, and even though Raleigh was about 80% of the way home, I thought we could time it well and make it a tour and dinner stop before the final push home. Because I knew we wouldn’t be able to time the 500 miles trip perfectly, I decided to buy the VIP tickets to give us a little more flexibility. For an extra $10 per person, we got skip-the-line entry, a poster and a magnet. It turned out not to be necessary, as there was no line at all and no enforcement of the timed entry stated on your ticket, but the boys enjoyed picking out a magnet and poster from the gift shop and I was fine with spending a little extra money for peace of mind.
The lobby was bright and colorful and exactly what you would expect of a Lego exhibit. A yellow man, a red twisted red brick, and a few brightly colored animals were setup in the entrance.
We walked down a dark hallway with Instagram-ready Lego wings hanging on the wall and into the first exhibit room. There was an intro video featuring interviews with the artist and several of his original pieces. The art in this room seemed very kid-focused, mostly featuring toys and other childhood staples like books and crayons.
Next up was the piece featured in all of the advertisements, a yellow man holding his chest open with lego pieces spilling out. The setting was very dramatic, with the piece sitting in a dark room on a reflective black table.
The next room featured an exhibit of figures flying over a pool of outstretched arms. The lighting in the room was really cool, casting shadows of the figures on the walls.
The next gallery was entitled Human Expression and focused on the human form.
The next room was called Past Masters and showcased reproductions of famous works of art. The original pieces were either paintings or sculptures, and both were recreated masterfully in Lego form.
After passing through a room with some skeletons and a 20 foot dinosaur, we entered my favorite exhibit. A joint project with photographer Dean West, this room showcased beautiful photographs that had a single Lego object integrated seamlessly into the photograph. A red umbrella, a railroad track, a barren tree, a dog. At first glance you almost didn’t notice that one aspect of the photograph was built out of Legos. It was amazing.
I loved the artist’s quotes interspersed throughout the exhibits. It gave some insight into his personality and artistic inspiration. I also loved that each piece of artwork gave its dimensions, brick count, and a brief explanation of the piece.
There was a gift shop and play/building area before you exited, which looked like a really fun area for smaller kids. (Had it been empty, I’m sure my teens would have jumped into the pit of bricks and started to build too!)
I just cannot say enough good things about this exhibit. We were absolutely blown away by it. Using Legos as an art medium is such a creative means of expression and it really drew the kids (and adults!) in. We were all so impressed with both the actual Lego builds and the artistic design behind each piece. This is such a unique and creative art exhibit. It is a must-see if it comes to a city near you!
