Today we’d like to introduce you to Ethen T.
Hi Ethen, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Ethen T, better known under my moniker myst33ry. I make artwork out of LEGO bricks and pieces. Like many others, growing up my favorite toy was LEGO. They stuck with me as I was a teenager, and I was inspired by some very talented creators who had been creating with LEGO as an art form for years. I realized the natural evolution of “playing with LEGO” was to turn my collection into something to express myself with. In November 2015, after hearing of a new traveling LEGO convention called BrickUniverse, my family and I drove to Texas. At 14 years old, I displayed my first mosaic among other small LEGO sets and creations. I met some notable members of the community, namely Jonathan Lopes and Rocco Buttliere, who inspired me as much then as they still do to this day. Since then, year after year, I deepened my technique and my passion, inspired by many LEGO and non-LEGO artists alike. I began displaying in more conventions and local shows.
On the other side of that coin, in 2014, I borrowed my sister’s Nikon to start taking “HD” photos of my LEGO figures and sets, which eventually lead to me getting my own camera as a Christmas gift. Through self-taught trial and error, it has blossomed into an appreciation for photography on a tiny, blocky scale.
At this point, I have made around 35 physical mosaics with dozens of more digital blueprints that have yet to be realized. I design commissioned work locally as well when the opportunity arises.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a pretty smooth road for the most part. Artist’s block and unmotivation are the two biggest showstoppers for me. I’ve just recently purchased tools to make my own custom wooden frames for my art, which finally took away the limit of what I can make and how fast I can make it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I create framed artwork (mosaics) out of LEGO bricks, and create toy photography scenes through the camera lens. My mosaics range from pop culture icons, logos, and portraits, to abstract skull art, or to custom-designs from commissions. In a similar vein, my photography ranges from pop culture action figures to LEGO minifigures, both arranged in many different ways. At this time I do not have any online store, but in person, I sell both my artwork and prints of my toy photography, as well as take commission mosaic work.
I am most proud of my Iron Man inspired piece, “Merchant of Death”, which I felt really lived up to the title “mosaic.” It stands at about 4 feet by 4 feet and was my largest piece at the time. It made me truly feel like what I was doing wasn’t just a toy for kids, that it was instead an expression of myself.
I have met many artists with LEGO as their medium, but never anyone who creates in the same niche as I do. I mix textures from that very same medium for different results that complement each other and play well with light and shadows, all contributing to the core of the mosaic subject.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Jonathan Lopes and Rocco Buttliere are two LEGO-based artists that I met right at the start of my LEGO “career” all the way back in 2015. They absolutely blew my mind the first time I saw their creations in person, and it is a privilege to see the wonders they make year after year. Greyson Beights, who is only a year older than me, created the traveling convention BrickUniverse with his family and since 2015 has had over 50 shows all across the country. Greyson has supported me since day 1 when I displayed with my first mosaic. My parents have also been the biggest supporters in my life. My father gave me the idea to frame my work and helped me create the wooden frames for years, and my mother continues to travel with me to every show and event I exhibit at, absolutely fearless in advocating for me.
Contact Info:
- Email: myst33ryig@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/myst33ry
- Other: https://linktr.ee/myst33ry
