Moulding child's play into great art

KMP Patnaik The 40-year-old Nathan Sawaya has created marvelous, three-dimensional sculptures and large-scale mosaics from the toys often discarded by children as they grow. The New York-based artist unique pieces of art work with standard toy bricks are currently being exhibited at Marine Bay Sands Art museum in Singapore. The exhibition is drawing crowds from across the globe, children especially find it amazing since they are made of toys. "These works are very personal to me, since they reflect my growth as an artist as I strove to discover my creative identity," said Sawaya at the exhibitions. He goes on to add "The museum exhibition is accessible because it engages the child in all of us while simultaneously illuminating sophisticated and complex concepts.

Everyone can relate to the medium since it is a toy that many children have at home. But my goal with this exhibition when it first debuted in 2007 was to elevate this simple play thing to a place it has never been before." Sawaya was born in Colville, Washington, and attended New York University where he obtained his bachelor's degree in law. He drew attention when he quit his law firm and became a full time Lego artist. The Lego toy bricks (interlocking bricks manufactured by Denmark based company LEGO) eventually catapulted him to an international artist. He has created some of the most recognisable art out of LEGO in the world, including a seven-foot long replica of the Brooklyn Bridge. His signature pieces include human form sculptures titled "yellow", "red" and "blue". "Blue" sold for an undisclosed sum at the Agora Gallery in 2010.