We’re always in awe of talented artists who use LEGO to bring movies, characters, and more to life. But one master builder has put together a collection that really does look like it might start moving around. Because his giant animal pieces are so vivid and dynamic they look natural as their real counterparts.
Brooklyn artist Sean Kenney (whose work we learned about at My Modern Met) has constructed an entire menagerie of LEGO animals. They’re part of his exhibition “ Nature Connects,” which he has been taking on tours to botanical gardens, arboretums, and zoos around the world.
Sean Kenney
His pieces, which feature everything from bunnies and birds to lions and buffalo, often look totally lifelike from a distance. But getting up close only increases the appreciation of the incredible amount of work that goes into them. (Unless you get up close to his monster-sized bee. That might scare you). They are expertly built (and glued together), and a single piece can take up to nine months and nearly 50,000 bricks to complete.
Sean Kenney
The collection, which includes over 150 pieces, also features various flora and fauna. Those touches help create the effect of experiencing nature in full LEGO mode.
His massive hummingbird piece really shows off how they all the different components come together.
Sean Kenney
Working with LEGO bricks means Kenney is limited to only 15 to 20 colors total. He doesn’t have special access to any unique options. But clearly after 15 years of building and countless pieces, some of which reside in actual zoos, the master builder has learned to work within the system.
Sean Kenney
“Nature Connects” is not only a cool collection, though. Kenney says on his website that while the exhibit is “playful and enjoyable,” it is also meant to reflect “important topics such as the balance of ecosystems, natural harmony, and humanity’s relationship with nature.”
Sean Kenney
You can discover more of his LEGO work at his official website and YouTube page. And you can find the rest of the tour’s 2020 schedule below. If you check it out just remember the LEGO lion won’t actually eat you. We think.
Nature Connects 2020 Remaining Schedule
- North Carolina Arboretum – July 1, 2020 to November 1, 2020
- San Antonio Zoo – May 22, 2020 to January 10, 2021
- Flamingo Gardens – June 20, 2020 to September 13, 2020
- Denver Zoo – July 17, 2020 to November 1, 2020
- Wild Connections at Grand Rapids Public Museum – October 26, 2020 to May 2, 2021
Featured Image: Sean Kenney