Nathan Sawaya (American, b.1973) fuses Pop Art and Surrealism to create three-dimensional sculptures and large mosaics out of popular everyday items. Born in Washington and raised in Oregon, Sawaya studied law at New York University, and briefly worked for the firm Winston & Strawn in New York City. In 2004, he left his law job and began working for LEGO. Though he left after six months to open his own studio, he is considered by the company to be one of the best LEGO builders in the world, and is recognized as a LEGO Master Builder and LEGO Certified Professional.
Today, Sawaya is best known for his large-scale human sculptures executed in red, yellow, and blue. In 2007, he held his first solo exhibition at the Lancaster Museum of Art in Pennsylvania. He has since had exhibitions at numerous galleries and museums in Australia, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and throughout the United States. In addition, his work has been featured on TV shows such as The Colbert Report, the Late Show with David Letterman, and NBC’s Today Show.
Sawaya lives and works in New York.