Before writing here at BrickNerd, it had been ages since I had browsed through the massive photo pool of the LEGO group on Flickr. As I am following 1,300 people in my contact list (and somehow, I have 2,800 people following me), I had grown complacent in actually looking for any new builders to follow. I sat back and let mainstream LEGO blogs handle all of that dirty work for me; all of the searching through pages and pages of photos, and then curating the best MOCs and builders to share with their audiences.

However, I started noticing that these blogs became more focused on posting whatever “themes and memes” kept their click rates high. They were also sharing builds from the same proven “MOC Stars” over and over, rather than purposefully searching for builders and MOCs that were overlooked and underappreciated. I suddenly had an epiphany that I really didn’t know what I was missing.

Last week, I took it upon myself to dive into the deep-end of the Flickr LEGO pool, in search of anything new and interesting beyond the typical mainstream blog-fodder. One of the things that caught my eye was this “Monkey Business” vignette, and it made me wonder if I had stumbled upon some secret Flickr account of Karf Oohlu.

Instead, I discovered that the account belongs to French artist Vincent Sereks. Going through the rest of his photostream, I was rewarded by finding his wonderfully colorful dreamcatchers. My favorites of the series are the ones that he built upon the yellow Fabuland Merry-Go-Round bases, that mimic the webbing of a dreamcatcher. I also enjoyed seeing the various tire hubs being used as necklace beads across all of the series.

Having caught my attention, as well as my dream of discovering a new builder for me to follow, I reached out to Vincent to learn more.

A Chat with Vincent

Ted Andes: Thank you, Vincent, for taking the time to share a bit more about yourself and your builds.

Vincent Sereks: Hi Ted. Thank you very much for your interest in my LEGO works. I’m honored.

Ted: So please tell us about yourself.

Vincent: Well, I’m Vincent, born in France. I studied in an art school, and now I’m a mural painter and tattoo artist. I also like to scratch music, and create beats to (maybe) scratch to sometimes.

Ted: Fans of both tattoos and LEGO will certainly appreciate that (as well as fans of murals, street art, and techno beats!). I see that you created your current Flickr account in 2021, yet many of your photos were taken back in 2020. What inspired you to create the account? Were you yet another person locked out of a prior Flickr account?

Vincent: I do have a previous Flickr account that uses an alias. Now that I have become more serious about the LEGO building side of my art, I decided to make a whole new profile using my real name. I created that new Flickr account this year, and a lot of my LEGO works displayed there are ones that I built from 2020-2021.

Ted: Has LEGO been something that you just started building with during the COVID-19 pandemic? It seems that a lot of people have picked up the LEGO pieces during the last year. Otherwise, how long have you been building in LEGO?

Vincent: As an adult, I started building with LEGO for the first time in 2009 or so, but it’s a very difficult hobby to maintain. As you know, it costs a lot, and you have to have some spare space to store boxes, organize pieces, etc. I really started to work more with LEGO materials in my art starting in 2017-2018 and have been serious about it since 2019.

Ted: Do you share photos of your builds and artwork elsewhere on social media (like Instagram, Facebook, the French BricksPirate forum, etc.)?

Vincent: I don’t share my LEGO works anywhere else beyond my Flickr account. I find that as I grow older, I prefer to limit my time on social media. However for other art projects, like the “fake tattoo” gang Skin Jackin' that I started with friends back in 2009, we do share on Facebook and Instagram.

Ted: I really enjoyed the wonderful designs and color choices you made for your dreamcatchers. What inspired you to create them?

Vincent: With some of my recent works, like the dreamcatchers, I tried to make things that are not your “typical LEGO creation.” I like the idea of creating real-life objects with bricks, and inventing some as well; I feel attracted to esoteric subjects. I started working on these necklaces and rings with the idea of creating “objects of power”— magical objects that you can display at home and maybe infuse them with some of your own magical practice.

Ted: I see that you have mounted your various dreamcatchers and talismans onto proper necklace display stands. Do you have them permanently displayed in your home, or perhaps in an exhibit in a public art space?

Vincent: I tend not to display my creations at home because I tend to grow tired of them if I see them too much. I have not yet tried to do an exhibition or to sell my works. I like to just create for now, and we’ll see what the future holds.

Ted: Are your “rings of power” something new, or did you build them alongside the dreamcatchers?

Vincent: The “rings of power” were built around the same time as the necklace series. They kind of work together.

Ted: During an internet search, I came across some photos that I believe are of your murals, as they seem to match the aesthetic style of your recent LEGO graffiti builds. Do you mind if I share those photos?

Vincent: Aha! You seem to have found some old works from my youth. Instead, here are some images of my more recent paintings, tattoos, and collaborations.

Ted: As an artist, do you sketch out any of your LEGO design ideas first before building, or do you just try out different things organically?

Vincent: I do not plan my LEGO creations that much. I like to organically try some stuff, and through trial and error come up with a “finished piece.”

Ted: Before we close, is there anything else that you would like to share? Any new projects you are working on?

Vincent: For the time being, I am taking a break. I am needing to focus on some “real life” things at home, so no more building for a while. I have submitted an application to be featured in the French version of the LEGO Masters TV show (second season), so perhaps you will see me there someday? We’ll see!

Ted: All of us here at BrickNerd certainly hope that your dreamcatchers are able to capture that dream for you! We wish you all the best!

Vincent: Merci! I wish you all a good day!!

Have you uncovered an overlooked or underappreciated builder that we should highlight here on BrickNerd? Please share with us in the comments below, or e-mail us directly at dave@bricknerd.com.

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