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    The Cello Museum > Artworks > New Materials > plastic > LEGO Cello by Artist Nathan Sawaya
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Comments(2)

  1. Reply
    Jessica Markee says:
    1 December 2022 at 2:55 PM

    This is awsome! My daughter has been playing Cello for 2 years and we love legos but I’m not technical can you let me know what pieces I would need to build this is that is ok.

    Thanks for your help
    Jessica

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LEGO Cello by Artist Nathan Sawaya

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LEGO Cello Inspired by Yo-Yo Ma

One day, I was watching a video of Yo-Yo Ma play the cello, and I just thought it was so beautiful, I wanted to challenge myself to build a life-size cello out of bricks. – Nathan Sawaya

Inspired by Yo-Yo Ma, artist Nathan Sawaya created his first cello out of approximately 7,000 standard LEGO bricks over the course of a few days in 2009.

To date, he has made two cellos, and each is

a part of my global touring art exhibitions: THE ART OF THE BRICK. The cello is such a popular instrument worldwide, it has been amazing to see fans’ reactions to the sculpture all over the globe.

The Challenge of Creating a LEGO Cello

Although he makes it look easy, there was one aspect of making the cello Sawaya found challenging.

The toughest part was making sure the f-holes looked accurate. I use rectangular bricks in my creations, and of course a cello has some beautiful curves to it, so I had to emulate the curves of the instrument out of little plastic right angles.

In spite of this challenge, the cello turned out beautifully.

Just the Beginning

The cello was the first musical instrument Sawaya

replicated out of LEGO bricks. Since then, I have built a guitar and a grand piano out of LEGO bricks.

Contact Nathan Sawaya

Want to discuss a commissioned sculpture, including a cello? Contact him at http://www.nathansawaya.com/. You can see more of his work on Instagram @NathanSawaya.

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Sources

Nathan Sawaya, via email.

http://www.nathansawaya.com/

http://www.likecool.com/LEGO_Cello–Projects–Gear.html

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About the artist

Nathan Sawaya

Nathan Sawaya. Photo: Dean West

Nathan Sawaya. Photo: Dean West

 

 

Nathan Sawaya is an award-winning artist who creates awe-inspiring works of art out of some of the most unlikely things. His global touring exhibitions, THE ART OF THE BRICK, feature large-scale sculptures using only toy building blocks: LEGO® bricks to be exact. His work is obsessively and painstakingly crafted and is both beautiful and playful.

Previously a NYC corporate lawyer, Sawaya is the first artist to ever take LEGO into the art world and is the author of two best selling books. His unique exhibition is the first of its kind to focus exclusively on LEGO as an art medium and has broken attendance records around the globe. The creations, constructed from countless individual LEGO pieces, were built from standard bricks beginning as early as 2002.

Sawaya is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, recognizing his artwork and cultural achievements.  In 2014, with the belief that "art is not optional," Sawaya founded The Art Revolution Foundation for the purpose of making art a priority in our schools and our homes. He has been a speaker at Google Zeitgeist, TEDx, Yahoo! and numerous universities.

Nathan Sawaya has earned a top position in the world of contemporary art and has created a new dimension by merging Pop Art and Surrealism in awe inspiring and ground breaking ways. His art consists of playing with the material, color, movement, light and perspective.

Contact Nathan Sawaya

Want to discuss a commissioned sculpture, including a cello? Contact him at http://www.nathansawaya.com/. You can see more of his work on Instagram @NathanSawaya.



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