This LEGO Artist Builds Masterpieces Using All Black Bricks | Obsessed | WIRED

"It just had this appeal to me because you can create the things you don't have." Meet Ekow Nimako, a Ghanaian-Canadian artist who uses black LEGO bricks to build jaw-dropping sculptures. While some of his masterpieces take nearly one-thousand hours to create, he has the ability to prototype a new design in just one day. We tour his home studios where he began creating his breathtaking art and explore some of his custom builds inspired by Black mythology.
Check out more of Ekow's work on TikTok: @ekownimakostudios
Director: Charlie Jordan
Director of Photography: Dave Sanders
Editor: Jordan Calig
Expert: Ekow Nimako
Creative Producer: Wendi Jonassen
Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi
Associate Producer: Brandon White
Production Manager: D. Eric Martinez
Production Coordinator: Fernando Davila
Camera Operator: Jerome W. Tan
Sound Mixer: Dave Plank
Production Assistant: Andrew Vance
Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch
Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant
Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen
Assistant Editor: Justin Symonds
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[@SebastianTinajero]

He is a sculptor and his medium is Lego. 🖤✨

[@MistaKnifeguy]

100%

[@montauta]

Nop, he is a Builder

[@tyrellcobb4665]

No, he's not a sculptor. He doesn't chisel. But he is an artist!

[@edizgunes]

He referred them as sculptures.

[@benjaminkofeod2696]

Sculpting you're taking stuff off, building youre adding things.

[@justice7660]

I'm into Lego myself and I can tell you, he's a pro and has an amazing sense of creating organic shapes. I'm truly impressed.

[@Movement_Pill]

that serpent lady sculpture blew my mind

[@drips1030]

I am not into lego whatsoever and i can tell you the same thing!!

[@drips1030]

​​@@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist1 wind your neck in 🤮

[@corpingtons]

Wow

[@macoy65]

Fake Sculptures

[@alexfischer7876]

Not only an artist, but a patient collector. _Millions_ of LEGO parts are under his control. *Ekow Nimako* deserves a spot in LEGO Hall of Fame... _if it exists._

[@ButterflyLullabyLtd]

Absolutely.

[@FrenchCanadianGuy]

"under his control" geezus wtf, those are plastic pieces made in a factory

[@alexfischer7876]

@@FrenchCanadianGuy So? _He bought them_ - hence why they're under his control.

[@Illumirage]

Not only that, he's a black supremacist

[@Kap3lka]

Wow! His pieces look like they were made out of some precious extraterrestial gemstone. It's amazing how the pieces he makes are so organic/curvy looking, yet made out of lego.

[@Tob1Kadach1]

This is real talent in my opinion

[@astroboirap]

why black though?

[@thedarkghost5880]

@@astroboirap black looks amazing

[@infinitemonkey917]

Ya think?

[@poab3036]

Skill

[@rurathn5534]

who asked for your opinion?

[@alexhussey1308]

The use of the smooth tiles and the color black both bring an elegance to a medium more associated with an amalgamation of color and chaos. There are lots of things to love about the colorfulness, but I like how his art subverts that association. The artistic style works so well with the themes he works in.

[@Kodaiva]

since when was lego associated with an amalgamation of color and chaos

[@alexhussey1308]

@@Kodaiva imagine a bunch of lego bricks on the floor waiting to be stepped on

[@jublacabra]

@@Kodaivasince forever?

[@YoungDymisty]

Wow this was so eloquently put! 🙌🏾

[@mtb416]

He uses black because he’s a black man who considers his skin color to be his identity. There’s nothing deep about it.

[@AAurum-yy7rv]

Idk what’s more impressive these brilliant builds or the fact he managed to find this many black pieces not faded or covered in scratches and teeth marks

[@operative2136]

Those are some absolutely beautiful sculptures. I'm also in complete awe of his collection of incredibly well organized lego parts.

[@lester44444]

Love how unafraid he is of integrating technic and system into his sculptures together - I feel like a lot of 'master' system builders often limit the majority of their builds to 2x4 bricks lol Also love the casual star wars nerdness hahahaha he's brilliant 😩👌

[@panboi7490]

nah you're all wrong, everyone uses technic x system

[@lester44444]

@@panboi7490 lol tell that to all the builds you see at lego stores and lego discovery centres constructed primarily of glue and 2x4s. Or artists like Nathan Sawaya. It's cool, but it's also at a certain point akin to pixel art that doesn't broach interesting parts usage at all

[@panboi7490]

@@lester44444 YOU ARE SO WRONG.

[@geort45]

@@panboi7490 he's right. they just voxelize the models. The most "complex" part ends up being assembling the model. This guy uses a very wide variety of bricks to achieve very complex surfaces.

[@panboi7490]

@@geort45 What? No !

[@Anrinobelibrahim]

This man can create texture, shape, and life in just black bricks

[@theid100]

Not Life!

[@alanwide4364]

Redundant comment

[@OWazabi]

are you implying that blacks dont have texture shape nor life?

[@cosmicish]

The organic shapes he makes is just phenomenal. To know each piece and how it functions is the same as a painter knowing each brush and tool in their kit.

[@Pace_EXE]

I love the appreciation for the BIONICLE and Hero Factory parts

[@karatemaster1144]

Props to this dude for channeling his culture into Lego. This is a man proud of his ancestry

[@wedgefeyhong9756]

Why not kung foo? Are these not your people? I can see you’re not proud of your history karate man.

[@Nillioh]

@wedgefeyhong9756 lmao what are you on about

[@Gatsu_Gambino]

thats the only thing they do... cry about why their life is messed up and blame a fictional white man for it!@@Nillioh

[@dwaynekeenum1916]

@@wedgefeyhong9756you’re white

[@chollyappleseed1969]

Yeah culturally appropriating lego invented by white people

[@damilolabamkole7153]

Look at those beautiful ancestral masks, winged figures etc 😭 Monochrome Textures. Amazing! I want such a spacious, niche studio

[@urdin2242]

I feel like the black bricks definitely catch the light the best. Good choice. Great art.

[@piotr78]

They also take fingerprints and show flow marks exceptionally well. On camera this doesn't really show, in rral life it's a deal breaker for me

[@Angtastic38]

Nothing better than working a draining stressful week at my desk and finding treasures like this. What an inspiration! He knows his Lego stuff too! Very cool!

[@cherylbristol5144]

Do LEGO even imagine that their locking tiles would take this format. This man has given LEGO a new purpose.

[@JesseDiebolt]

Did Lego imagine people would build things with Legos? I’m thinking yes

[@RetrovexAmbient]

Yes, lego have done this in the past, hes just putting his own style into it, his own little niche

[@maxwellsimon4538]

I imagine that LEGO could never have predicted this, but they knew something like this would happen. They built a toy system that was meant to unlock imagination and make it material.

[@BaronFeydRautha]

I don't think so. Lego has always been an artistic medium. What insanity are you talking about?

[@shroomzzz]

"Are you serious?! It's Lego." The man is an artist!

[@sleepingdarkness2042]

He's in touch with his ancestors and they speak through him in his art. Absolutely amazing we need more like him. 😢

[@devinpledger2251]

VIctim mindset

[@casualdestruction]

@@devinpledger2251this response doesn’t make any sense

[@edism]

Stuff making up nonsense, you imagined that ​@@devinpledger2251

[@OsvaldoBayerista]

​@@devinpledger2251Racist mindset

[@OsvaldoBayerista]

​@@Clorox_Bleach_ Chlorine drinker mindset

[@diatadiatainternationalfol6038]

True, "Gifts should not go to waste". This Brother is an inspiring gift to the art world himself!

[@erichoskins8521]

Been following this guy on instagram for 4-5 years now. He’s so creative and fantastic. Love seeing everything he creates

[@MarciaLove-mx4bb]

What’s his IG

[@JohnJaneson2449]

I never thought Lego could become high art but here it is. 😅👍🏻

[@MrJuanito624]

For some reason i always thought it was high art in someway and yes heee it is lol

[@demonwing636]

These lego sculptors are some of the most beautiful works of art I've seen! I love seeing lego used as a medium for art but don't see it as often as I wish. Seeing these designs in all black, outlining his culture and passion. It's truly beautiful and I hope he continues on this path of creation!

[@Mute-chan420]

This is so amazing. Thank you for giving this man a platform. He is a master of his craft

[@quinnmcdonald3763]

This guy is a one of a kind rare talent. His art is exceptional.

[@ehop149]

Awesome

[@navsofour2892]

Till AI will do it and provide with the building manual.

[@thedarkghost5880]

Ive never seen lego pieces like that before look custom made , all i know is lego bricks . Still an amazing talent, and beautiful artwork.

[@marklar7551]

Different sets have different shaped pieces now. With the star wars collectors there are way more black pieces available 👽

[@rurathn5534]

ahahahah are you like mentally impaired or something?

[@GoatzombieBubba]

Look up the set 10294 RMS Titanic.

[@ktammz]

This is the most beautiful thing ive ever seen. The art. The artist. Just gorgeous, beautiful perfection.

[@all0utmetal735]

Settle down spaz

[@Adrifthornet4]

@@all0utmetal735 You have a playlist for kids exercise videos.... Pipe down

[@km3455]

It would be cool to see his creations animated into a series. Or designs for a sci fi/fantasy movie.

[@pristineparr1232]

yasss I see that too

[@seansartor]

TREMENDOUS !!!! Its cool how the shiny black pieces appear to reflect the colors of the room their in 😎

[@Bystronicman08]

*they're

[@Vercingetorix504]

@@Bystronicman08 😅

[@niall2353]

'In moonlight black boys look blue'

[@mr.doctorcaptain1124]

@@Vercingetorix504 nah, correcting people’s grammar is actually helpful in today’s day and age. I’m 33, and the number of friends I have who do not know the difference between “lose” and “loose” is astounding to me. My niece is extremely high level in school (she’s qualified for national level programs that have incredibly high standards, has been taking college level classes since she was 14, and is looking at full ride scholarships to several top colleges in the U.S.). Her grammar is atrocious. This new thing of auto correct has lead to a generation devoid of basic grammar and understanding of proper syntax.

[@Vercingetorix504]

@@mr.doctorcaptain1124 I'm in agreement. It's a lost cause now.

[@antoniousai1989]

Living it big by playing with LEGO... Respect Mr., Respect.

[@schemasoftware]

they need to bring this guy in and let him make an official lego set

[@Zakading]

Saw one of his figues, a woman riding a unicorn, at Brick Campus in Juju, South Korea last year. Legitimately incredible piece of art. The pure black is so striking and gorgeous.

[@vr6one]

Get this dude on Lego Masters asap

[@cmooreHD]

😮 Truly!

[@mrsquiggles1379]

"Not as what they are but what they could be" is pretty profound tbh

[@kalebmanning4425]

This that one kid who you play Legos with and he takes all the bricks of a certain color because he “needs them.”

[@Ekownimakostudios]

But I did need them

[@WillBourner-ez5nz]

You mean Lego

[@soofunchong3942]

Lego has come a long way since I first started playing with it 50+ years ago. There used to be a very limited selection of block shapes available.

[@freshtapcoke]

Wow, this is a serious artist. I love how lighting, shadows, reflections are incorporated into his designs.

[@theBoonarmies]

it's weird, but I like that there's a little bit of dust on some of the pieces he's showing off in his collection. It's how you know he's a real LEGO guy 😅

[@lindinle]

Collecting dust cuz no one buys them.

[@fourdeep6561]

@@lindinle either that or he keeps the good ones, people buy anything that is labeled art im sure it would get snatched up.

[@lindinle]

@@fourdeep6561 if he kept the good ones his place would be empty.

[@fourdeep6561]

@@lindinle 🤣🤣🤣

[@keeoncollier9533]

@@lindinleso explain how his Lego spare parts alone is 50 times your net worth if he’s not selling anything

[@KACHUKHA]

This is properly unbelievable art. And you gotta love the way this artist stays absolutely chill about it. Massive props

[@rabiahpascall6221]

He is so eloquent and articulate that it is astounding that he is so precise in his expressions.

[@katrinaenjoylife8868]

A GIFT SHOULD NOT GO TO WASTE. Powerful, Beautiful and inspiring. Thank you for sharing your talent with us.

[@rosemaryh.4105]

This is so impressive! Talented creator, and well done video!

[@Jm_Corda]

This guy is such a perfect marketing product. I don't say that in a negative sens. I love marketing. His branding is so clean (house design, clothes style, the way he talk, the meaning he gives to his art, etc...) Everything harmonious, everything top quality. Nothing but respect, and I'm not even the targeted audience.

[@flavorsofthecontinent7195]

As a Ghanaian 🇬🇭. Not suprised at all. Very creative people

[@SinaAla]

Nigerian here 🇳🇬. Love our West African brethren 🇬🇭

[@munazzahahmad3296]

Absolutely gorgeous artwork!

[@gilmour6754]

What a talented artist. Very cool stuff!

[@noahboat580]

This is amazing. I wouldnt know how to get back into lego besides messing around with the computer program for Lego, but this guy has made a style in his artwork, that is unique! By the time he gets the spine/frame done you can see how he executes it, especially with tile pieces and detailed parts

[@looney2nes]

I love -Legos- Lego and have watched many videos about very creative people who build unique things but Ekow is the most impressive that I've seen. Most of the videos are showing amazing toy sets, but these are works of art.

[@what200883]

Wow he dropped so many gems of wisdom in this. Amazing talent ❤

[@rawchocolatier]

Does he sell them at a auction? How can we buy his art? His Lego skills is at an amazing level. True artist thi$! 😊✨

[@smileyp4535]

I wonder if it comes with instructions 😂

[@alphaenterprise2232]

His works probably cost 100 times more than he paid for that lego,

[@brvdyy]

I’d imagine they sell for thousands at auction

[@filipivan5125]

@@alphaenterprise2232they better do, we talknhundreds of hours of craftmanship

[@cherylbristol5144]

LEGO’s creations never look so realistic, until a man of melanin used his creativity with their blocks. He has breath new life into LEGO for another century.

[@Blockistium]

i dunno if you guys realize how difficult building with just one color can be, imagine keeping track of everything that's going on. it's why all the support structures in sets are bright random colors

[@vplgery]

Wow. This is just amazing. I have never been impressed by an artist like this!

[@jopo7996]

Ekow's friends and family never take their shoes off inside his house.

[@eauneau]

😂

[@galenkelly4859]

I can't even begin to explain how much this amazes and inspires me.

[@scottyelder8351]

Those studios are so cool ! So much LEGO ! I love to see such perfection.

[@Browneyezish]

I’m truly amazed and inspired! Beautiful artwork

[@danielstreng]

There’s a touch of H.R. Giger in what he does. I love it!

[@fauxdauteur]

I don't know if Ekow teaches, but if he was a professor, I'm sure he'd have the most popular class at a university lol This is soooooo cool.

[@sharonfreeman384]

Do you have workshops? This is different kind of art. Children would love this,and there imagination would take this to another level. This is beautiful!🖤🖤😘

[@chris_wizzudz]

This is some seriously incredible talent! I loved the technique he used for hair on one of the sculptures.

[@pippa3150]

What a fascinating, talented and creative man. Thanks for a great video!

[@ABrickDreamer]

Just amazing. One the best LEGO artists in the world

[@natewillis448]

The self-awareness to say that it's a privilege speaks volumes of his eloquence, and that he's a geek makes this such a great story. If you think about it, sculpting is really just subtractive art and his art is just an inverse of that, additive art.

[@Red80008]

He's a real life master-builder!! 🤩

[@papishome3394]

wow his creations really look like multi million dollar art

[@mon6745]

Such an amazing view of Black Canadian Art 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@wedgefeyhong9756]

It’s a Lego advertisement. You’re probably soo cool you only shop at black owned businesses.

[@mon6745]

@wedgefeyhong9756 Thanks for this comment, I'm going to take the next step and shop at exclusively black owned business 🙆🏾‍♀️. You made such good points! The community appreciates you.

[@killaclownz911]

Great piece. Really enjoyed this man's words and art.

[@marylewis4320]

This is so inspirational. My 16 year old African American son loves Legos and desires to be a Master Lego builder. Representation truly matters. Thanks for being a mirror to so many children of color.

[@walteracevedo5105]

This is beautiful for adults and imaginative for kids. And it can't be broken if dropped per se, just rebuilt into the next project.

[@basselm804]

I cannot even express the level of insane talent there... flawless...

[@delicious9930]

Finally an artist worth hearing about lol. Very talented all his masterpieces are unique and create a reaction

[@WavingWorld]

This is one of the best videos you've made. Thanks for doing the research for us.

[@pamh1648]

Wow, super impressive. I create lego too, but this is next level. I can image this in an art galley.

[@shallot4991]

These look so sick, working as a Lego artist was a childhood dream for me, im 100% buying all the Lego’s I can once I have the financial means

[@bonniecarr6405]

His Lego art is AMAZING such talent BRAVO👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@donnetta117]

Extraordinary! His creations are absolutely brilliant. Extremely detailed and designed with meaningful connection. It's the genuine passion to the art that makes it special.. unique and this guy definitely has it 💯. I would love to own a piece.

[@virtualsaturn89]

Really cool and creative designs. I like the starship pieces the most.

[@EM-cs7jw]

If I ever become rich I’m totally buying one of his pieces, these are incredible!

[@illia144]

you can do it on your own, man

[@urmumsbaps]

@@illia144 yeah just like how you could paint something by an artist yourself, right? Think before you post

[@reduXstereo]

@@illia144 Yeah... if you have thousands of hours of time available to practice and perfect the craft like this guy that is.

[@l.a.1477]

I’ve seen quite a bit of creative Lego stuff but this guy takes the cake 👌

[@CurlyCross]

this is probably the best lego sculptors ive ever seen and this man is just as sculpted. man dont miss the gym. good for him!

[@resonancetides7196]

Most of the time, i hate modern art... but this is... real talent.❤

[@travidoo13]

Bravo! Absolutely incredible to see such modern expressionism with Lego!

[@alacrity28]

This is such an incredibly creative idea for art

[@micaiahyhisrael7152]

Beyond amazing. This takes true talent, dedication and vision.

[@MrPrincepop]

Amazing artist! 👍Even his studio is amazing! 🖤

[@Lee-22]

LEGO minifigures were originally chosen to be yellow in order to promote the idea of racial neutrality, it has nothing to do with The Simpsons. In fact the writer of Simpsons (Matt Groening) only made his characters yellow to have them stand out more and look more cartoonish. And I guess he didn't think too deep about changing the color of other characters that weren't white and especially since they were added later, and tbh any other color pops and creates way more contrast than the beige "white" skin tone. Great artist by the way!

[@gardyjure118]

Gifts should not go to waste. Excellent statement and, beautiful artwork.

[@DavidJohnson-dc8lu]

His LEGO art is truly amazing.

[@XTRABRIX]

This man takes NPU (Nice Part Usage) to the highest level! Amazing and powerful art! 🐐🔥🔥🔥

[@doctorcatnip2551]

Very impressive! This guy is a real artist.

[@WaynesWorld-wk4pz]

Love it man, great talent. Amazing themes

[@DanimationMovies]

Man. Getting to be a celebrated artist and also just playing with legos all day is awesome. good for him.

[@tripledprojects]

Such art! I will never again see New Zealand rugby in the same way

[@Eggs4breakfastt]

Absolutely Magnificent! 👏🏾

[@caroleappling2007]

Wow, this amazing.Absolutely beautiful

[@karigrandii]

I love the all black philosophy and this is incredible

[@jakerio8]

Holy crap! Thanks for this recommendation. Blown away by the talent

[@britalian_biker]

Absolutely incredible art!

[@RishabhManna]

insane skill and truly imaginative. his pieces are very powerful indeed!!

[@borregoayudando1481]

he has such a beautiful vibe