Hokusai’s Great Wave Made Into Beautiful LEGO Sculpture
This amazing LEGO sculpture by Jumpei Mitsui builds the giant waves and boats of Hokusai’s iconic woodblock in brick.
Kanagawa-Oki Nami Ura is one of the most recognizable pieces of Japanese art. It’s from the late Edo period and was the first print in Hokusai’s series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. It’s been put on clothing, mugs, cars, and phone cases, turned into Cookie Monster – you get the idea. Now it’s been translated into a fantastic LEGO sculpture by the youngest LEGO Pro on the planet.
Jumpei Mitsui is the youngest LEGO Certified Professional; he started his career at the University of Tokyo. He’s made LEGO sculptures for companies, TV, and publications, and his sculptures have been displayed in Japan, Thailand, and Malaysia. He specializes in large-scale sculptures of animals, characters, and structures. His work is impressive and creative, many feature Japanese life and culture.
This is a project he’s been wanting to do for a while…
‘Thirty-six Views of Tomitake The Great Wave off Kanagawa’ is three-dimensionalized with Lego. I had an image in my head for the theme I wanted to make for many years, but this time I was finally able to realize it. Since it is three-dimensional, it is a work that can be enjoyed from various angles.
富嶽三十六景 神奈川沖浪裏 をレゴで立体化しました。
長年作りたいテーマで頭の中でイメージはできていたのですが、今回ついに具現化することができました。立体なので色んなアングルから楽しめる作品になっています。今日から大阪の阪急三番街・HANKYU BRICK MUSEUMで常設展示しています！ pic.twitter.com/fHEXvxfYDT
— 三井淳平 / Jumpei Mitsui (@Jumpei_Mitsui) December 11, 2020
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Building the LEGO Sculpture
Jumpei shared a bit about the creative process behind this LEGO sculpture on Twitter (this is auto-translated from Japanese).
“In the production, I drew only one sketch for checking the overall balance rather than the blueprint. I also read several papers on rogue waves to check their consistency and watched and observed the waves on YouTube for 4 hours. When I was a kid, I lived in a house with a view of the sea, so of course, I see a lot of real waves.”
He created a timelapse of the entire build – watching the boxy supports become rolling waves is fascinating. The completed piece is on display lay Hankyu Brick Museum in Osaka. You can check out more from Jumpei Mitsui on Instagram, YouTube, and his official Lego Craftsman page.
Build Your Own LEGO Great Wave
The latest addition to LEGO’s Art Series allows you to recreate one of the world’s most iconic works with a three-dimensional brick build. While it’s not nearly as big as Jumpei Mitsui’s version, it’s still an impressive and beautiful set. Scan the QR code in the instructions to access a soundtrack with content tailor-made to this project. This relaxing set is $100.
- 1,810 pieces
- 20.5 in. (52 cm) high and 15.5 in. (39 cm) wide
