Lego to make art: discover the world of Nathan Sawaya in Marseille with the exhibition "The Art of the Brick"

A world of bricks. A corporate lawyer in New York until the early 2000s, Nathan Sawaya would come home to unwind from his busy days by immersing himself in Lego construction.

"It was a way for me to relax. I've been playing with Lego since I was a kid, in the 1970s. Some people go to the gym or bars; that was it for me. Until the day I realized there was an artistic aspect to it," he says.

After trying his hand at painting or more or less traditional sculpture - "with wire, terracotta or even sweets ," he says, amused - he finally opted for these little bricks.

Lego to make art accessible to all

Why this choice? "For two reasons. First, because I think Lego is very accessible: it's something everyone knows and has at home. This makes art much more accessible than, for example, marble. And from a technical point of view, when you look at these works up close, you see rectangles, squares, straight lines... But when you move away, these lines become curves. This is what makes the objects magical," he explains.

Some of his work is currently on display in Marseille, until next September, in the exhibition The Art of the Brick . An exhibition that has already traveled the world and attracted more than 10 million visitors. It features revisited iconic paintings, such as Munch's The Scream and Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring , as well as sculptures such as Rodin's The Thinker and Michelangelo's David .

We also discover original creations by the artist, always with humans as the main source of inspiration. In particular his most iconic work, Yellow , this yellow brick bust that opens in two, torn by the hands of the model. "It represents an openness to others, a way of showing that when we give everything, it is our soul that emerges," analyzes the artist.

Two days of construction for a nod to Banksy

Each exhibition changes depending on the city in which it is installed. In Marseille, Nathan Sawaya drew inspiration from local news to create a unique work. Before boarding the plane, he learned of the installation of a Banksy work in the heart of the Phocaean city. The American artist then "reproduced the lighthouse. It took me two days, I absolutely wanted it to be ready for the exhibition. It was very stressful!" he breathes. A good indicator of his way of working and creating. "I always start with an idea. Then, I find inspiration in my travels. I do a lot of drawings, then I do research to find the right postures for human sculptures or to obtain maximum detail for reproducing works of art."

He also sometimes lets himself be surprised. In one of the exhibition rooms, a six-meter-long T-Rex skeleton welcomes visitors. More than 80,000 pieces were assembled, requiring weeks of work.

He began assembling it in his living room, before the sculpture eventually took over his entire apartment. " I practically went crazy trying to make it work," he says. A childhood dream come true.

A customer like any other at Lego

Obviously, the question arises: to what extent is the Lego company involved in Nathan Sawaya's work?

"I buy all my bricks. I'm just a bit of a special customer, as I order hundreds of thousands of bricks every month. You'll notice that the exhibition is called Art of the Brick and not Art of the Lego . You don't see the brand logo anywhere. I'm just driven by my passion for this toy and this artistic medium," he insists. The brand is, however, present in the merchandising. It's obviously fair play because when you leave, you immediately want to dive into a construction...

From June 5th until September (end date undetermined). 45, rue Saint-Ferréol in Marseille. Open every day from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Prices: from 10.90 to 13.90 euros. Reservations at www.theartofthebrickexpo.com