Nova Scotia·Photos

This Nova Scotian has his art on display in Denmark. It's made out of Lego

A Halifax artist who uses Lego blocks as his medium says he is honoured by the opportunity to display his work at a gallery in Denmark.

Zachary Steinman has been using Lego to make art since the COVID-19 pandemic

A man holds a small gray cube made from Lego blocks.
Zachary Steinman holds one of his Lego cubes that is on display at the Lego House in Denmark. (Zachary Steinman/Instagram)

A Halifax artist who uses Lego blocks as his medium says he is honoured by the opportunity to display his work at a gallery in Denmark.

Zachary Steinman, who grew up playing with Lego, said he started using the colourful toy blocks to make art during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Steinman owns the store Giant Bicycle Halifax, but in his spare time he shares his Lego sculptures on his Instagram account, which has amassed nearly 40,000 followers. The sculptures include geometric, abstract patterns often formed as cubes.

Steinman said it was that work that got him invited to the Masterpiece Gallery of the Lego House in Billund, Denmark.

The Lego House, which is filled with 25 million Lego bricks, opened in 2017. Each year, the gallery selects about 15 people to display their work, Steinman said.

"It's still sort of hitting home because to be totally honest, I didn't know about Lego House and the Masterpiece Gallery until just a few years ago and for me, I never thought that I would be included in that group," Steinman told CBC Radio's Mainstreet Halifax on Tuesday.

Steinman and his wife travelled to Denmark to set up his sculptures last month.

He was first contacted by the Lego House in February.

"I thought it was a joke at first," he said. "I didn't really know that much about it, but after I checked into it, it turned out to be legit. It's incredible."

Steinman set up several of his Lego sculptures, which will remain in the gallery for a year. 

A small, blue Lego cube, that appears to be hovering, sits between two larger structures.
This is the main scultpure of Steinman's section of the Masterpiece Gallery. He said this sculpture is three different builds. (Zachary Steinman/Instagram)
A man wearing a T-shirt holds a small, gray Lego structure.
Steinman was invited to set up several of his Lego sculptures at the Masterpiece Gallery of the Lego House last month. (Zachary Steinman/Instagram)
A man stands next to an art display case and is seen setting up a small gray structure.
Steinman has a small section of the Masterpiece Gallery dedicated to his sculptures, which will remain there for a year. (Zachary Steinman/Instagram)
A man holds a small, gray Lego structure and shows it to two onlookers.
Steinman said only a few artists are invited to display their work at the Masterpiece Gallery each year. (Zachary Steinman/Instagram)
A gray Lego structure that has an opening in the centre
Steinman calls this sculpture the Hole. He said its an example of how he likes to mix hard lines with organic textures. (Zachary Steinman/Instagram)
A small Lego cube, that appears to have gray layers, reveals a blue cube inside.
This gray cube, which envelops a smaller blue cube, is one of Steinman's sculptures that is on display at the gallery. (Zachary Steinman/Instagram)
A man, just out of frame, adjusts a small lego art display.
Steinman said he didn't know much about the Lego House in Denmark until he was invited to display his work there. (Zachary Steinman/Instagram)

With files from CBC Radio's Mainstreet Halifax

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