Lego Art (stylized as ''LEGO Art'') is a Lego theme introduced in 2020. It offers sets based on iconic personalities and characters in pop culture, allowing builders to reproduce them in a

mosaic A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...

-like format using Lego 1x1 studs. Following the launch of Lego DOTS, a theme mainly targeted towards children, the Lego Art theme is the second 2D tile creative concept to be launched by

The Lego Group Lego A/S, also known as the Lego Group, is a Danish construction toy production company based in Billund. It manufactures Lego-branded toys, consisting mostly of interlocking ABS plastic and rubber bricks. The Lego Group has also built severa ...

in August 2020.

Overview

The product line focuses on the artwork

portrait A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face is always predominant. In arts, a portrait may be represented as half body and even full body. If the subject in full body better r ...

s. Each set is 48x48 studs in size and contains at least 2,900 pieces. Built upon nine 16x16 baseplates and connected by

Lego Technic Lego Technic (stylized as ''LEGO Technic'') is a line of Lego interconnecting plastic rods and parts. The purpose of this series is to create advanced models of working vehicles and machines, compared to the simpler brick-building properties of ...

pins, each mosaic is formed using either round 1x1 tiles or round 1x1 plates. Although each set offers more than one design variation, they are unable to be built simultaneously. Some sets also give builders the option to combine multiples of the same set to create a larger piece. A wall hanging element is included for builders to hang the completed mosaic up. In addition, a new, larger brick separator is also introduced in this theme. Each set also comes with an exclusive 2x4 printed tile, featuring the mosaic's respective signature or logo, which can be added to the corner of the completed mosaic. Podcasts or soundtracks that are intended to be listened to, when building the mosaics, are available online after purchasing a set. They feature creators or experts discussing the inspiration behind each design or the subject featured in the mosaic. In 2023, Cooper Wright had set the

Guinness Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

completed World Map (set number: 31203) with a fastest time in 9 hours, 14 minutes and 49 seconds.

Development

Lego Art is a new theme from

that forms part of a strategy to create new products to appeal to adults some of whom will never have built with Lego elements before. Model Designer Kitt Grace Kossmann explained, "We have done something with the building instructions that is different to what we are used to," and continued, "There is a colour bar and that colour bar is represented by all the different bags, so when you build it's much easier. You can say 'number seven, that was the light blue one,' then you can see here as well as just colours there are numbers on it." Lego Art introduces exclusive new elements, an expanded colour palette and is an entry point for new fans. Model Designer Kitt Grace Kossmann explained, "Some of them are up to four to seven percent extra so you get a lot of extra bricks," and continued, "Where you can reuse, as you can see for example in The Beatles, the skin colour was easy to mingle around and do on all of them, then for example Marilyn Monroe where you have different backgrounds, you needed a spare colour. In that one I had to use more extra bricks than in The Beatles. I wouldn't say that we have been compromising, we decided to make it as good as possible." During the development process of the Lego Art theme, Model Designer Kitt Grace Kossmann explained, "One of the reasons why some of them have tiles is actually the plates, when you look at them, they look much more smooth, they were really looking nice. But also I think the one with the studs on cater also for Lego fans, being a Star Wars fan and Lego fan is really combined nicely in that one, whereas this one is perhaps more appealing to not super fans." Lego Art Design Manager Samuel Johnson discussed the combination of 1x1 round plates and 1x1 round tiles on the same mosaic achieve unique shading effects and explained, "That is something that was considered during development and we cannot exclude the possibility of combining them in the future. However, that can cause challenges when developing the building instructions because differentiating between 1x1 round plates and 1x1 round tiles of the same colour may be difficult. The issue becomes even more prevalent within these sets because their instructions feature an unusual top-down view, showing the mosaic in two dimensions." Lego Art Design Manager Samuel Johnson discussed the soundtracks accompany each model and explained, "Each set features its own soundtrack which has been developed exclusively for these products. The building instructions feature a QR code to access the soundtrack and they are about ninety minutes in length. They discuss the background behind the subjects being constructed. 31200 Star Wars The Sith, for instance, features commentary from Lucasfilm employees about the design of each character and their original development. Moreover, the soundtracks conclude with designer interviews so the creators of each mosaic can provide some information about the production of Lego Art."

Launch

The Lego Art theme was announced on 24 August 2020 in the USA. As part of the marketing campaign, the Lego Group released four construction sets.

Construction sets

Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe

Released on 1 August 2020, Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe (set number: 31197) is based on the

Marilyn Diptych The ''Marilyn Diptych'' (1962) is a silkscreen painting by American pop artist Andy Warhol depicting Marilyn Monroe. The monumental work is one of the artist's most noted of the movie star. The painting consists of 50 images. Each image o ...

painting by

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

. It consists of 3,341 pieces and offers builders four different colour options. The accompanying soundtrack includes interviews with a curator at The Andy Warhol Museum named Jessica Black, and

Blake Gopnik Blake Gopnik (born 1963) is an American art critic who has lived in New York City since 2011. He previously spent a decade as chief art critic of ''The Washington Post'', prior to which he was an arts editor and critic in Canada. He has a docto ...

, an art critic. In August 2021, The Lego Group announced Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe (set number: 31197) was retired on 31 December 2021.

The Beatles

Released on 1 August 2020, The Beatles (set number: 31198) is based on

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

rock band from

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. It consists of 2,933 pieces and offers builders the option to recreate any one of the four members. The accompanying soundtrack includes interviews with a broadcaster and Beatles expert named

Geoff Lloyd Geoff Barron Lloyd (born 20 April 1973) is an English radio presenter, television host, podcast host and writer, best known for his talk radio and music shows. He is married to comedian Sara Barron and hosts thFirecrotch & Normcorepodcast wit ...

, a British journalist and Beatles fan named

Samira Ahmed Samira Ahmed (born 15 June 1968) is a British journalist, writer and broadcaster at the BBC, where she presents '' Front Row'' on Radio 4 and '' Newswatch'' on the BBC News channel and BBC One during '' BBC Breakfast'', and regularly present ...

, and

Nish Kumar Nishant Kumar (born 1985) is a British stand-up comedian, television presenter and podcaster. He became known as the host of ''The Mash Report'' on BBC Two and U&Dave, Dave. He has also presented ''Newsjack'' on BBC Radio 4 Extra, ''Joel Domme ...

, a comedian, TV presenter, and Beatles fan. In August 2021, The Lego Group announced The Beatles (set number: 31198) was retired on 31 December 2021.

Marvel Studios Iron Man

Released on 1 August 2020, Marvel Studios Iron Man (set number: 31199) is based on the fictional

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

superhero,

Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...

. It consists of 3,167 pieces and offers builders the option to recreate any one of the Iron Man suit variations, namely the MK-III, MK-83, and the Hulkbuster MK-I. Three of the same set can also be combined to create an ultimate Iron Man piece. The accompanying soundtrack includes interviews with the former Marvel editor-in-chief,

Roy Thomas Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor. He was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics and possibly bes ...

, and Alex Grand, a Marvel expert, and host of the "Comic Book Historians" podcast. In August 2021, The Lego Group announced Marvel Studios Iron Man (set number: 31199) was retired on 31 December 2021.

Star Wars The Sith

Released on 1 August 2020, Star Wars The Sith (set number: 31200) is based on the main

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...

. It consists of 3,406 pieces and offers builders the option to recreate any one of the three Star Wars characters namely

Darth Maul Maul (originally Darth Maul) is a character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. He first appeared in the prequel film '' Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace'' (1999). Maul returned in the animated television series ' ...

Kylo Ren Kylo Ren (born Ben Solo) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was introduced in ''The Force Awakens'' (2015), the first film of the sequel trilogy as the main antagonist. He subsequently appeared in '' The Last Jedi'' (20 ...

and

Darth Vader Darth Vader () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was first introduced in the original film trilogy as the primary antagonist and one of the leaders of the Galactic Empire. He has become one of the most iconic villain ...

. Three of the same set can also be combined to create an ultimate Darth Vader piece. The accompanying soundtrack includes interviews with the vice president and executive creator director of

Lucasfilm Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company founded by filmmaker George Lucas in December 10, 1971 in San Rafael, California, and later moved to San Francisco in 2005. It is best known for creating and producing th ...

Doug Chiang Doug Chiang (; born 16 February 1962) is an American film designer and artist. He is vice president and executive creative director of Lucasfilm and previous Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at Lucasfilm. Early life and education Chiang was born i ...

, and Glyn Dillion, creator of the design for Kylo Ren. In August 2021, The Lego Group announced Star Wars The Sith (set number: 31200) was retired on 31 December 2021.

Harry Potter Hogwarts Crests

Released on 1 January 2021, Harry Potter Hogwarts Crests (set number: 31201) is based on the

Hogwarts Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional boarding school of magic for young wizards. It is the primary setting for the first six novels in the '' Harry Potter'' series by J. K. Rowling, and also serves as a major setti ...

house crests in

Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven Fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...

. It consists of 4,249 pieces and offers builders the option to recreate any one of the four Hogwarts house crests namely

Gryffindor Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional boarding school of magic for young wizards. It is the primary setting for the first six novels in the ''Harry Potter'' series by J. K. Rowling, and also serves as a major setting ...

Slytherin Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional boarding school of magic for young wizards. It is the primary setting for the first six novels in the ''Harry Potter'' series by J. K. Rowling, and also serves as a major setting ...

Hufflepuff Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional boarding school of magic for young wizards. It is the primary setting for the first six novels in the ''Harry Potter'' series by J. K. Rowling, and also serves as a major setting ...

, and

Ravenclaw Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional boarding school of magic for young wizards. It is the primary setting for the first six novels in the ''Harry Potter'' series by J. K. Rowling, and also serves as a major setting ...

. Four of the same set can also be combined to create an ultimate Hogwarts crest piece. The accompanying soundtrack includes interviews with the graphic designers for the Harry Potter and

Fantastic Beasts ''Fantastic Beasts'' is a film series directed by David Yates and a spin-off prequel to the ''Harry Potter'' novel and film series. The series is distributed by Warner Bros and consists of three fantasy films, beginning with '' Fantastic Bea ...

films, Miraphora Mina, and Eduardo Lima, creative director for the Harry Potter films, Alan Gilmore, and the head prop maker for the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, Pierre Bohanna. Later, in April 2021, Lego released an alternative set of instructions to provide builders with additional build options namely Hedwig, the

Platform 9¾ The '' Wizarding World'' contains numerous settings for the events in the novels, films and other media of the ''Harry Potter'' and the ''Fantastic Beasts'' series. These locations are divided into four main categories: residences, education, ...

sign, and the

Golden Snitch Quidditch () is a fictional sport invented by author J. K. Rowling for her fantasy book series ''Harry Potter''. It first appeared in the novel ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' (1997). In the series, Quidditch is portrayed as a dang ...

. In August 2021, The Lego Group announced Harry Potter Hogwarts Crests (set number: 31201) will be retiring on 31 December 2023.

Disney's Mickey Mouse

Released on 1 January 2021, Disney's Mickey Mouse (set number: 31202) is based on the

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

cartoon characters of

Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large shoes, and white ...

and

Minnie Mouse Minerva "Minnie" Mouse is an American cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. The longtime sweetheart of Mickey Mouse, she is an anthropomorphic mouse with white gloves, a red or pink bow, blue (or pink or red) polka-dotted dress, w ...

. It consists of 2,658 pieces and offers builders the option to recreate either Mickey or Minnie Mouse. Two of the same set can also be combined to create a united Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse piece. The accompanying soundtrack includes interviews with Disney's creative director and character artist, David Pacheco, Disney's character artist,

Jeff Shell Jeff Shell is an American media executive who was the CEO for NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast, from 2019 to 2023. Career Shell is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied economics and applied mathematics, a ...

y, Disney's principal character artist, Brian Blackmore, and Disney's senior character artist, Ron Cohee. Later, in April 2021, Lego released an alternative set of instructions to provide builders with additional options for recreating the characters. In August 2021, The Lego Group announced Disney's Mickey Mouse (set number: 31202) will be retiring on 31 December 2023.

World Map

Released on 1 June 2021, World Map (set number: 31203), with a total of 11,695 pieces, is Lego's largest set to date where builders are able to recreate a map of the world. Builders are also able to customise the look of the oceans, either by following instructions inspired by the

bathymetric Bathymetry (; ) is the study of underwater depth of ocean floors ('' seabed topography''), river floors, or lake floors. In other words, bathymetry is the underwater equivalent to hypsometry or topography. The first recorded evidence of water ...

mapping of the ocean floor, or placing them to their own liking. Tiles can be rearranged to create three different versions of the map, each of which centers on a different continent. The set also features customisable brick-built pins for builders to mark destinations on the map. The accompanying soundtrack includes interviews and travel stories from bloggers and adventurers such as Torbjørn C. Pedersen, who is the first person to visit every country in the world in one journey without flying. On 10 September 2021, The Lego Group had published instructions for two new alternate builds for World Map (set number: 31203) are

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

and

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. In August 2021, The Lego Group announced World Map (set number: 31203) will be retiring on 31 December 2023.

Art Project - Create Together

Released on 18 October 2021, Art Project - Create Together (set number: 21226), with a total of 4,138 pieces, is the first set to not be based on a licensed theme and offers builders the option to recreate a total of 37 different designs to be built and combined into one larger mosaic. In September 2022, Art Project - Create Together (set number: 21226) was retired at the end of 2022.

Elvis Presley 'The King'

Released on 1 March 2022, Elvis Presley 'The King' (set number: 31204) is based on

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

an American singer and actor who was dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll". It consists of 3,445 pieces and offers builders the option to recreate any one of the three different Elvis Presley options. Three of the same set can also be combined to create Elvis Presley playing the guitar. In September 2022, Elvis Presley 'The King' (set number: 31204) will be retired at the end of 2022.

Jim Lee Batman Collection

Released on 1 March 2022, Jim Lee Batman Collection (set number: 31205) is based on

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

Jim Lee Jim Lee (; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean-born American comic book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. As of 2023, he is the President, Publisher, and Chief creative officer, Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work ...

. It consists of 4,167 pieces and offers builders the option to recreate any one of the three DC Universe characters namely Batman,

The Joker The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, the character first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' on ...

and

Harley Quinn Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel, PhD) is a fictional American character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm for ''Batman: The Animated Series'' as a henchwoman for the ...

. Two of the same set can also be combined to create Batman and

Catwoman Catwoman is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, she debuted as "the Cat" in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #1 (spring 1940). She has become one of the superhero Batman' ...

piece. In addition, three of the same set can also be combined to create an ultimate Batman piece. In an interview, Jim Lee stated, "We have our style and so how do you translate it given these parameters, and still make it look visually aesthetically cool, but also recognizably ours and I think that was a big hurdle,” and continued, “First, it was converting the mindset to a different medium. And knowing the image was in a square format was one of the largest considerations.”

Rolling Stones

Released on 1 June 2022, Rolling Stones (set number: 31206) is based on

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

rock band from

. It consists of 1,998 pieces. The accompanying soundtrack includes interviews with the Graphic Designer John Pasche. John Pasche commented, “Who would have believed, 50 odd years ago… that design would be made into a Lego piece. Wow!”. Lego Design Manager Fiorella Groves explained, “Since the tongue logo is one of the most recognized logos, our biggest challenge was to figure out how we could get the Lego Art design as close to the original as possible. Previous sets have been created with 1×1 round Lego tiles as a mosaic, but this time, in the spirit of being more Rock ‘n’ Roll, we have used the full spectrum of Lego bricks to capture the organic curves that John created. Hearing his reaction to our final design makes me so happy!”

Floral Art

Released on 1 August 2022, Floral Art (set number: 31207), with a total of 2,870 pieces and offers builders the option to recreate any one of the three different colour options.

Hokusai: The Great Wave

Released on 1 January 2023, Hokusai: The Great Wave (set number: 31208) is based on Japanese ''

ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art that flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock printing, woodblock prints and Nikuhitsu-ga, paintings of such subjects as female beauties; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes ...

'' artist

Katsushika Hokusai , known mononymously as Hokusai, was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period, active as a painter and printmaker. His woodblock print series '' Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji'' includes the iconic print ''The Great Wave off Kanagawa''. Ho ...

The Great Wave off Kanagawa is a woodblock print by Japanese ''ukiyo-e'' artist Hokusai, created in late 1831 during the Edo period of Japanese history. The print depicts three boats moving through a storm-tossed sea, with a large, cresting wave forming a spiral in t ...

woodblock print Woodblock printing or block printing is a technique for printing text, images or patterns used widely throughout East Asia and originating in China in antiquity as a method of printing on textiles and later on paper. Each page or image is creat ...

. It consists of 1,810 pieces. The accompanying soundtrack includes interviews with the art curators Naoko Mikami and Alfred Haft.

The Amazing Spider-Man

Released on 1 August 2023, The Amazing Spider-Man (set number: 31209) is based on the

The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American superhero American comic book, comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its title character and main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of t ...

. It consists of 2,099 pieces. The accompanying soundtrack includes interviews with Marvel Senior Editors Tom Brevoort and Nick Lowe.

Modern Art

Released on 1 August 2023, Modern Art (set number: 31210). It consists of 805 pieces and offers builders the option to recreate any four model options.

Reception

In July 2020, Lego Art was shortlisted for the Play Creators Awards 2020. In September 2022, Jim Lee Batman Collection (set number: 31205) was listed on the "Five of the best Lego Batman sets for Batman Day 2022" by Lego fansite ''BrickFanatics''. In February 2023, World Map (set number: 31203) was listed as "The biggest Lego sets of all time" by Lego fansite ''Brick Fanatics''.

References

External links

* {{Lego

Art Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...

Products introduced in 2020