Nathan Sawaya | Sub Cultured

Here in Philadelphia there’s no one that doesn’t know the Franklin Institute (except for this one cab driver one time, but he was a total statistical outlier). They’re famous for being a fantastic science museum complete with planetarium and a simply humongous IMAX screen for documentaries and movies. It’s a local field trip staple for elementary and middle schools. But what they also have are rotating special exhibits – and the one currently front and center is focused on Lego art, called Art of the Brick.

Nathan Sawaya, an artist that left his job as a high powered corporate attorney to focus on art, works exclusively with Lego bricks to create his masterpieces. And he does an absolutely phenomenal job. From original creations to Lego recreations of famous classical art pieces by past masters, this was one of the best special exhibits I’ve seen at the Franklin. That’s saying a lot – they’ve had some tremendous ones before.

Broken up into 8 sections, the exhibit starts with classic art recreations like Van Gogh’s Starry Night, DaVinci’s Mona Lisa and Vitruvian Man, and Munch’s The Scream. From art the exhibit moves to sculpture like Rodin’s The Thinker among other classic works, including a Moai statue as seen on Easter Island that took 75,000 bricks to assemble. Oh right, and the 20-foot long Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton that took 80,000 bricks. The exhibit moves into some darker themes as well, which I was surprised to see able to be captured using Lego bricks as a medium. It was a fun time, and I highly recommend it to anyone that’s in the Greater Philadelphia area to go see. Check out the gallery below (photography was encouraged) for some Lego art goodness.

And you will find in there, of course, a Lego Liberty Bell. This is the city of brotherly love after all.

If you want more information the artist, Nathan Sawaya or how to get tickets, click here. Not in the Philadelphia area? That’s ok, it’s a traveling exhibit! Check Nathan Sawaya’s schedule here for future exhibitions.