“Kiss.” Courtesy brickartist.com

There’s still time to catch Nathan Sawaya’s LEGO creations at the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood (a Knight Arts grantee). Yes, his work has shown here twice before, but what has turned out to be a real summer blockbuster for the center is still an unexpected delight.

First off, don’t be fooled by these famous building bricks associated with childhood toys. Although at times playful, many of these works have a dark undertone. In one case, a yellow torso is being ripped open to reveal its internal organs, which are spilling out – a disturbing image. In another, faces disappear in a kiss – have they joined as one, or lost their identities? In one gray piece, a face tries to break through a torn façade, in The Shining-like “here’s Johnny” style. In other words, while kids will find a lot that grabs their attention, so will the bigger people (there is a LEGO-building play room for small and big alike).

Sawaya and his “Gray.” Courtesy brickartist.com

What’s amazing is the curvatures and softness that Sawaya brings to his sculptures – how rounded and detailed can something be, made from hard, rectangular bricks? You’ll find out.

Look at the features on his Mount Rushmore. Pay attention to the mirrored image on the floor of a small boy’s face. Or in the video that is showing, watch the formation of a violin – no hard edges on that instrument in general (the video is a nice addition). As for detail, have fun with the multi-colored peace sign at the beginning: Out of the thousands of bricks that make up the sculpture, in only three cases are the same colors placed next to each other. Think they are easy to spot? Ha.

Sawaya, a former attorney from New York, has perfected his craft, for which he has become internationally famous. He doesn’t work with any other materials or with any other form. As a result, the quality is top-notch.

“Nathan Sawaya: The Art of the Brick” runs through Aug. 19 at the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, 1650 Harrison St., Hollywood; 954-921-3274; artandculturecenter.org.