SUDBURY - Sean Kenney is a renowned, award-winning artist. But instead of working with traditional materials such as paint or clay, he uses Lego bricks to create detailed sculptures.
Science North’s new exhibit, Sean Kenney’s Brick Masters Studio: Build with Lego Bricks Like a Pro, brings Kenney’s studio in Amsterdam to Sudbury.
“It is an incredible exhibit made almost entirely of Lego sculptures,” said Science North CEO Ashley Larose.
“Anything that your imagination can come up with, you'll find it in here, but built out of Lego bricks,” she said. “It's really incredible. And in addition to just the sculptures, we also have interactive elements that the Science North team created to go along with the exhibition.”
Employing more than two million Lego pieces, the exhibit features more than 100 sculptures. Media were given a sneak-peek of the exhibition on Tuesday, which includes sculptures of a dragon and a giant hummingbird.
Panels on the wall have been printed with images from Kenney’s studio, showing shelving units entirely filled with bins of Lego pieces of every shape and size.
The exhibit opens to the public on Feb. 14 and runs until Sept. 1. Kenney himself will be there for the grand opening on Friday.
“I'm really excited that he's made the trip all the way from Europe to Sudbury, even with our weather this week, and he's definitely going to be here to celebrate and open with us,” said Science North senior staff scientist Amy Henson.
After it leaves Science North, the exhibit will go on to travel across North America. It was produced by American company Imagine Exhibition with science content from Science North.
A description on the science centre’s website says visitors will step into Kenney’s workshop to explore how scientific principles like shape, form, and color theory influence the creation of his masterpieces.
In the Sculpting with Shape gallery, guests learn to “brickify” two-dimensional designs into three-dimensional sculptures, while Color Collision reveals the fascinating science of color through vibrant displays and hands-on opportunities.
Larose, who said her favourite sculptures are a family of ducks (“they are adorable, and really have to be seen to be believed”), was a Lego-maniac as a kid, as is her 14-year-old son these days. She jokes that as a parent, she’s stepped on her share of Lego bricks.
“That just goes to show you that there really is no age limit,” Larose said. “Even when I was a kid, when my parents were kids, Lego just spans generations. There really is something for everybody when it comes to Lego, and that the only limit is your imagination.”
More information about the new exhibit is available on Science North’s website.
Heidi Ulrichsen is Sudbury.com’s assistant editor. She also covers education and the arts scene.