Lego and the art of creativity

Lego may seem an unusual topic for this blog, but after a group of London Jewellery School staff and tutors went to The Art of The Brick exhibition, taking place on Brick Lane near our studios, we felt inspired about our making as well as small plastic bricks.

The Art of Brick is by Nathan Sawaya who works entirely in Lego, creating sculptures, portraits, versions of famous artworks and even dinosaur skeletons. As well as the Lego works, the exhibition features video interviews with and quotes from Sawaya which really struck a cord with the LJS team.

He talks about how important it is for everyone to have a creative outlet and that in his previous career as a corporate lawyer he would find himself sitting at a boardroom table wishing he was sitting on the floor with a box of Lego – a feeling many LJS students and jewellery makers will be familiar with.

Sawaya says he uses Lego for his sculptures because it is such an accessible medium – not many people have a block of alabaster handy but may well have a box of small plastic bricks in a cupboard. This is also familiar to jewellery makers. We may not all be able to work in platinum and diamonds but can create beautiful work with wire, beads, polymer clay and a range of other materials.

It is not just the work that Sawaya creates that is inspiring, it is the fact that he found such a fantastic outlet for his creativity. He now has the life we all crave – time to turn his sketchpad of ideas into reality.

It is exactly because we understand that craving that the London Jewellery School exists. We truly believe everyone is creative and we want to help you find your channel whether that be through a taster class, taking a package of silver classes or starting a new jewellery career with the help of a diploma course.

So just like everyone can find some Lego, don’t forget everyone can make jewellery.