Grade 11 Sir James Dunn Academy student Henry Campbell used more than 15,000 LEGO bricks to recreate a celebrated Haida artwork for CLASS 2026, a student exhibition now on display at Sunbury Shores Arts & Nature Centre.
The 17-year-old’s piece reimagines “Skaagi – Haida Dog Salmon,” a 1974 serigraph by acclaimed Haida artist Bill Reid.
Campbell said the project began after a teacher approached him with the opportunity to create a LEGO-based artwork connected to his long-term goal of one day working for LEGO.
“She knows I want to work at LEGO when I’m older,” Campbell said. “So she thought it would be good for me to do something with LEGO during my time in high school.”
After brainstorming ideas together, he decided to recreate one of Reid’s salmon designs after being inspired by Northwest Coast Indigenous art during visits to British Columbia and Vancouver Island.
“I really like the Northwest Indigenous art style,” he said. “Especially in the airport when you arrive in British Columbia, it’s just right in front of your face and it’s really beautiful.”
Campbell said the bold colours and stylized shapes of the Haida design translated naturally into LEGO form. Using layered bricks and protruding pieces, he created depth and texture rather than a flat mosaic.
“If it was all completely flat LEGO bricks, it wouldn’t look as nice,” he said. “When you have all the different kinds of LEGO pieces protruding like that, I think it really makes it come together better.”
The project stretched across the school year and took roughly 50 hours to complete. Campbell originally planned to dismantle it after the exhibition because the bricks were never glued together, but changed his mind after seeing the public reaction at the opening.
“There were a few people talking about putting it at other art galleries,” he said. “So I’m not going to take it apart for a while now just to see what happens with it.”
Campbell, who grew up in Saint Andrews, said LEGO has been part of his life for as long as he can remember.
“My parents always got it for me for Christmas,” he said. “Once I started working and had my own money to spend on it, I just kept buying LEGO.”
While he enjoys official sets, Campbell said he prefers building original creations from his own imagination.
“You can build stuff up, take it apart, and build something else,” he said. “I really prefer to use my own pieces and make stuff with my own brain.”
Campbell’s dream of working for LEGO has even led him to begin learning Danish through Duolingo so he can one day work at the company’s headquarters in Denmark. He said he is currently on a learning streak of more than 900 days.
He believes LEGO continues to resonate in a digital world because it offers a hands-on creative outlet away from screens.
“If you want to wind down for a day, you don’t just have to go on your phone,” he said. “You can just build a LEGO set. It’s peaceful.”
Campbell also shares his work online through his Instagram account, “2009_bricks,” where he posts original LEGO creations and custom builds.
Editor’s Note: Permission to recreate Reid’s original work was obtained through the Bill Reid Gallery, according to Campbell’s artist statement accompanying the piece.
