LEGO Artist

If you give Joseph Kraham 140,000 legos, he’ll turn them into a masterpiece. For proof, check out the 96 square-foot mosaic of Mt. Rushmore he completed earlier this year. This piece took 1,000 hours to complete and is one of countless LEGO creations the artist has produced since launching his artistry in 2013. According to Joseph, there’s a Great Dane to thank.

“Back in 2013 we lost our family dog,” Joseph explained. “I decided to build a portrait of him for my wife using LEGOs. This was the piece that started it all.”

After a successful first try, Joseph immediately set his sights higher. He felt limited by LEGO’s existing color selection and soon developed a method of painting each individual block to produce the exact colors needed for each piece. Joseph has since secured a patent to protect this first-of-its-kind painting process.

“By painting each piece, I can control the shade, shine and finish until I have exactly what I need,” Joseph said. “For example, I might need 20 different shades of cream or brown to match someone’s skin tone for a portrait.”

An engineer by day, Joseph has his artwork down to a science. Using a computer program he created, Joseph carefully plots each piece before beginning the tedious work of painting the individual bricks by hand.

“I average about 10 hours per square foot. Most portraits will take anywhere from 100 to 200 hours,” he said. “It takes a lot of time and patience because if I make one mistake, I have to start over and repaint pieces.”

A quick look at his collection demonstrates the power of this process, revealing lifelike portraits of professional athletes, pets, and Joseph’s proudest work, a rendering of the Little Mermaid.

“The Little Mermaid is very sentimental to me,” Joseph said. “I created it as a gift to my daughter and she says she is going to keep it forever. That makes a dad feel good.”

This piece boosted both his paternal pride and popularity, as Joseph’s work is featured in art shows across the country, including the Miami Art Basel, and an exclusive partnership with The White Room Gallery in the Hamptons.

Joseph also regularly completes commissioned work for individuals, businesses and charities. His portfolio features familiar faces like The Rock, Spiderman, Wonder Woman, and many more. Still, he doesn’t consider himself a traditional artist.

“I have no background or formal art training,” Joseph said. “I’ve found that’s what makes art unique. You don’t necessarily have to be trained in something to accomplish your goals.”

Reflecting on his lucrative and fulfilling LEGO journey, Joseph offers a piece of advice to aspiring artists.

“Find what makes what you do unique, and build on that,” he said. “And remember, it might not happen on your timeline, but practice and patience will pay off eventually.”

Learn more about the Edmond LEGO artist and explore his work at www.josephkraham.com, or on Instagram @onebrickatatimelego.