The Art of the Brick: DC Comics Makes Its Worldwide Debut at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
To kids and adults who love LEGO, artist Sawaya is a bit of a super-hero. For the last decade, the former lawyer-turned-artist has transformed the popular toy into highly sought-after artwork, and has inspired countless kids to discover their own artist within. Now, Sawaya is turning to the stories and characters of DC Comics for this new exhibition.
The Art of the Brick: DC Comics features more than 120 original works of art, created exclusively from LEGO bricks, including a life-size Batmobile, spanning 5.5 metres (18 feet) and constructed from half a million standard bricks. Inspired by legendary characters such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Joker, Harley Quinn and others, Sawaya has imagined large-scale sculptures featuring some of the most iconic Super Heroes and Super-Villains from the pages of DC Comics.
“Just like Superman, everyone has their own origin story. This collection of art draws on elements of a hero’s journey including that moment when we’re all called to adventure,” Sawaya said. “It’s similar to building with LEGO. There is an incredible sense of pride and accomplishment when you finish building a LEGO set – instilling confidence and self-esteem. It feels a little bit like being a super-hero.”
NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for the Arts, Troy Grant, said “This show is an Australian exclusive for the Powerhouse Museum and will be a fantastic experience for families and fans of LEGO and DC Comics. We all know that everything is awesome in a show about LEGO.”
NSW Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres said “The global anticipation for this exhibition is incredible and it’s a real coup for Sydney to secure the world premiere of The Art of the Brick: DC Comics. The NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency Destination NSW is working closely with the Powerhouse Museum to promote the exhibition which we expect will bring more than 19,000 visitors to Sydney.”
The exhibit encompasses 1,400 square metres (15,000 square feet) comprised of 10 distinct galleries featuring artworks depicting themes of transformation and resurrection, good and evil, and right and wrong. Sawaya's works vary from a towering sinister Joker face, to Wonder Woman’s invisible jet, to an avant-garde installation of the heroic Justice League.
Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) Director Rose Hiscock said it was wonderful for the Powerhouse Museum to be the premiere venue for this global exhibition. “This new exhibition continues the Museum’s strong tradition of exploring contemporary culture through art and design and we are delighted to be opening to the public this weekend. Fans will not be disappointed, it really is a masterpiece for the young at heart and explores our fascination with heroes and villains,” said Ms. Hiscock.
“The Art of the Brick: DC Comics is an immersive entertainment experience like no other, and we are thrilled with Nathan Sawaya’s amazing artwork on display in this global touring exhibition,” said Karen McTier, Executive Vice President, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “Fans from across the globe will be captivated by Sawaya’s masterful use of LEGO bricks to create unique artistic interpretations of iconic DC Comics characters.”
The new exhibition holds true to the creative disciplines of Sawaya's original touring exhibition, The Art of the Brick, which encourages inspiration, education and participation and has been seen by millions of people in more than 75 cities across five continents. Award-winning and record-breaking, CNN rated it as one of the world’s “must see exhibitions.”
The Art of the Brick: DC Comics exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum will be open to the public from November 21, 2015 to May 1, 2016. Tickets are on sale now at: ticketek.com.au
Future cities and venues will be posted at www.brickartist.com.
About Nathan Sawaya:
Nathan Sawaya is an acclaimed artist who creates awe-inspiring artwork out of a toy. His art focuses on large-scale sculptures using only LEGO bricks. Sawaya was the first artist to ever take LEGO into the art world and his touring exhibition , The Art of the Brick, has entertained and inspired millions of art lovers and enthusiasts around the world. CNN heralded The Art of the Brick as one of the top “must-see exhibits in the world!” Originally a lawyer, Sawaya walked away from the law and took an artistic risk on LEGO bricks. Now Sawaya is an author, speaker and one of the most popular, award-winning contemporary artists of our time. For more information about Nathan Sawaya and his artwork, visit www.nathansawaya.com. For more information about The Art of the Brick, visit www.brickartist.com.
About the Museum of Arts and Applied Sciences:
Powerhouse Museum, alongside Sydney Observatory and Discovery Centre, is part of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS), Australia’s contemporary museum for excellence and innovation in applied arts and sciences. The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences has a vast and diverse collection of over 500,000 objects.
About Warner Bros. Consumer Products:
Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.
About DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is one of the largest English-language publishers of comics in the world.