Brick By Not-So-Boring Brick

In place of brushes and canvas, brick Artist Xylvie Huang uses Lego bricks and base plates for her artistic creations.

Xylvie Huang is one petite brick artist known for her mammoth creations.

One of her best works, a wall mural for the 2015 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens, measures a whopping 6.2m by 2.4m.

The 33-year-old had to painstakingly mapped where each Lego brick – 148,000 of them – should go in the build. It’s backbreaking work, but when her stunning 3-dimensional creation received comments like “I didn’t even know it’s Lego”, she would be all fired up again.

Ms Huang’s passion for Lego bricks started when her father gave her a set to play with as a child. She outgrew Lego by the time she’s a teenager. But after the Lasalle College of The Arts and National University of Singapore graduate started working, she craved a creative outlet of expression.

She found that outlet in Lego.

The former civil servant resumed collecting Lego in 2010, and started building her designs in 2013. Her early works were shared with other enthusiasts on the Adult Fans of Lego (AFOL) page on Facebook. Later, she started receiving requests to design and build custom structures and figures.

Together with 2 friends, Ms Huang started taking on these commissioned projects. They have served clients including The Lego Group, People’s Association and the SG50 Steering Committee. She also rented a space to start My Little Brick Shop (MLBS), where their works could be displayed for showcase or sale.

Often clad in interesting outfits (think a R2-D2 inspired dress) and sporting funky hair colors, the mother of one said her passion for Lego has rubbed off on her 5-year-old son Xuan Rui, who’s also an avid builder at home.

Juggling work and family, however, is no mean feat for her, who sometimes has to pull 22-hour work days when demands spike.

“Entrepreneurship involves a lot of sacrifices”, said Ms Huang, “My son receives no less love, but I am definitely not as involved with his school work.

“I know that I have to sacrifice family time and I learn to be at peace with myself … and just cherish the time that I have with my family.”

My Little Brick Shop

Address: Bugis Junction #03-10C

Opening hours: Monday – Friday: 11.30am – 9.30pm; Saturday: 11am – 10pm; Sunday: 11am – 9.30pm

About the Author: Aiden Chong

Aiden is a kart racer who dreams of becoming a professional racing driver. If that doesn’t work out, the Mass Communication student hopes to cover the motorsport industry as a journalist.