The ‘Art of the Brick’ Is Coming to Boston

Not that we necessarily need more Legos in our lives with the new Legoland Discovery Center now open in Somerville, but next month, a new special exhibit of “the largest display of Lego art ever assembled” will open at Faneuil Hall to show us even more of what the simple toy can achieve.

“The Art of the Brick” is a collection of works created entirely out of Legos by artist Nathan Sawaya. With no offense to the Lego structures we’ve seen from the LDC so far, Sawaya’s pieces are a little less replica, a little more art and abstraction. One of his pieces, for example, is of a figure climbing a double helix of DNA—DNA made of building blocks, get it?

Sawaya’s work has been shown at sold-out shows around the world, and has even made it front of the eyes of big names like Lady Gaga and former president Bill Clinton—to whom Sawaya presented “the world.” And now the acclaimed exhibit is coming to Boston.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that ‘The Art of the Brick’ would be connected to the historic Freedom Trail!” Sawaya says in a press release. “Although it is fitting, because these sculptures and artwork strive to change the way people think about art and show that Lego is more than a toy and that art is necessary. I hope this collection of work in Boston inspires people to start their own Art Revolution.”

One of the standout pieces in “The Art of the Brick” is “Yellow,” a life-size yellow man ripping open his chest. Other pieces range from cellos to chess pieces, Stephen Colbert to candy canes. Visitors at Fan Hall will find a 20-foot T-Rex skeleton, a giant skull, and more in a collection of 100-plus pieces, all made from Legos.

“These works are very personal to me, since they reflect my growth as an artist as I strove to discover my creative identity,” Sawaya says in a press release. “’The Art of the Brick’ 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 plaything to a place it has never been before.”

In this case, the second floor of Faneuil Hall.

$23.50 regular admission, open October 8, 200 Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston, 866-276-9458, bostonbricks.com.