Nathan Sawaya's The Art of the Brick Showcases Fantastic LEGO Sculptures

Image: Dave Banks

In what must seem like a previous life, Nathan Sawaya led the buttoned-down life of a corporate lawyer – just another coat & tie among the other office drones. But now, he’s most often recognized as the most famous ex-LEGO employee in the world.

Sawaya won a master builder contest at LEGOLAND in 2004, before parlaying the win into a job at the park for six months. He then struck out on his own and decided to make a career out of building darn near everything from LEGO bricks. He and his work have appeared everywhere from the Neiman-Marcus Christmas catalog to a recent episode of Mythbusters.

His work has been recognized as being creative, innovative and brilliant, sometimes all at once. And now you have a chance to see some of the LEGO Certified Professional‘s sculptures, up close. There are two shows slowly making their way across the country (schedule here), including one called The Art of the Brick, which is currently in my hometown.

I took my son to look at Sawaya’s work and was impressed. The show had more than thirty LEGO sculptures, including a few that were absolutely brilliant. What’s more, there was an area for kids to play and experiment with bricks. Best of all, admission was free. The Art of the Brick is scheduled to be on the road through 2011.