Artist Sean Kenney has created hundreds of giant, lifelike sculptures of animals, from snow leopards and polar bears to butterflies and bison. The statues aren’t carved from stone or cast out of metal, though. They’re made from tens of thousands of colorful LEGO® bricks. Kenney’s project, called Nature Connects, aims to raise awareness about threatened wildlife and the need to protect endangered species.
Kenney started building LEGO animals in 2011. He can spend weeks or months creating each detailed figure. The most challenging part, says Kenney, is turning hard, rectangular bricks into a sculpture that conveys an animal’s natural movements or facial expressions.
Kenney’s artworks have been displayed across the U.S., from the San Antonio Zoo in Texas to the North Carolina Arboretum. Kenney hopes people who see the sculptures will develop a bond with the animals. “The exhibit is about connections,” says Kenney. “Just as LEGO pieces interconnect, everything in nature is interconnected too.”