It’s not every day that you walk into a room filled with inanimate objects that feels inexplicably alive. However, as soon as my foot pressed into the checkered floor of 343 Newbury St., I knew I had just stepped into the living, breathing and tangible consciousness of creator Nathan Sawaya.

CNN described “The Art Of The Brick” as a “global must-see exhibition,” and I completely agree. Sawaya is an American artist who specializes in making custom 3D sculptures out of LEGO bricks and this exhibition is the culmination of some of his greatest works. “Art of the Brick” opened on Nov. 18, 2022 and I highly recommend you see it before it closes on April 23, 2023.

Though Sawaya has encountered remarkable success for his work, receiving the Art Visionary Award in 2017, the space, filled with bright colors and children blabbing excitedly, felt fresh, humble and youthful. Maybe this feeling is borne from every sculpture being made of an iconic children’s toy, but there was an atmosphere that endured outside of the LEGO medium itself that conveyed a sense of innocence and fun.

After the short video of Sawaya himself explaining his work and muses, a curtain opened to reveal the re-imagined-in-3D version of “The Kiss” by Gustav Klimt. The first floor of the exhibit featured iconic artworks-turned-LEGO sculptures, ranging from “Winged Victory of Samothrace” to the “Mona Lisa.” I found the three sculptures lining the entrance of the exhibit instantly captivating: revamped versions of “Venus de Milo,” “Augustus of Primaporta” and “David.” These tributes made the atmosphere grand and important in a modernist and progressive way.

One highlight was a black and blue shaded portrait of a girl with a hauntingly beautiful expression, a tribute to Andy Warhol’s art style entitled “Courtney.” As I rounded the corner and came across it, I instantly felt the breath leave my lungs. There was something so transient and beautiful about her sensual stare, that I couldn’t help but reach my fingers out to touch it. That was when the bolded “NO TOUCHING” sign appeared from my peripheral vision, which somehow made the whole sculpture-painting that much more beautiful.

A strikingly unique aspect of this exhibit is Sawaya’s informal, brief yet deeply personal descriptions of each creation. A particular favorite of mine accompanied a sculpture entitled “Pushing Against,” which featured an impossibly tall red figure with his arms raised against the ceiling. The plaque read “This is how I keep the roof up in my studio,” which I found charmingly witty and intuitive.

Though there were many jaw-dropping exhibitions of raw talent and creativity, there was one that will stay plastered in my memory forever. “Red Dress” did not need a caption, and Sawaya expertly left the plaque blank to let the sculpture tell the story itself. I feel the urge to call this sculpture “she” as it was so divinely feminine and beautiful. Behind the dress itself hung red LEGOs that floated up from the train of the dress, hinting that it was disintegrating in the wind. I cannot emphasize enough the emotional impact of this piece; even as it stood next to a ginormous 80,000 piece dinosaur sculpture.

This exhibit emphasized the beauty and necessity of art in the world. Sawaya’s words “Art is not optional” were plastered brightly on the widest wall on the first floor, and they reminded me that these cultural institutions of beauty and serenity are so deeply important to our existence as humans. Paired with quotes about Sawaya’s journey as an artist and a human, each piece revealed a poignantly portrayed aspect of the human condition.

To channel the inevitable inspiration borne from Sawaya’s teachings, the third floor featured LEGO stations for viewers to take a stab at creating their own art. As I stuck the blocks together, realizing that Sawaya’s work is a lot harder than it looks, I looked around at the children and hoped they took his words and lessons with them through the trajectory of their lives, bringing art and complexity into their world, brick by brick.