Abraham-Virgen-Gonzalez

How old are you? 29

Which country are you from? I was born in Mexico but grew up in the United States

What is your role at the LEGO® Group? Model Designer

How did you get into building with LEGO bricks, especially building your own creations? I did not have LEGO bricks growing up, but I have always been passionate about art and design. I had been looking to buy a set for a while after COVID, and in 2022 I found a great deal online for the Boutique Hotel along with the vintage taxi. I quickly built it when it arrived and I fell in love with the interesting building techniques and amount of detail that was possible to create using LEGO bricks and plates. Building this LEGO set sparked the creativity that I felt when drawing and sculpting. I wanted to see if I could use LEGO bricks as a medium to make something of my own. I did not have any bricks to build with, but after some research I discovered BrickLink Stud.io, a 3D software that allowed me to build digitally. I also discovered that there was a strong LEGO fan community online where people regularly shared MOCs, or “My Own Creations”. Through the online community, I found a lot of fan-run building contests as well as the LEGO Ideas website that also had challenges that I could use to test my building skills. I entered my first MOC into the 90th Anniversary Castle Themed Celebration challenge on LEGO Ideas. It is a microscale recreation of set 6089 Stone Tower Bridge.

I am surprised at how quickly my LEGO journey took off after that point. Since then, I have had so many achievements that I am very proud of. I have won a president’s award at my local MOC convention in my hometown of Boise, Idaho. I have been invited to sell my instructions online through the BrickLink MOC Popup store. I had one of my ideas reach 10K votes on the LEGO Ideas website and I also won a challenge to come and visit LEGO House in person!

After the trip to LEGO House in Billund, I decided to apply to be a designer and I am happy to be here today!

What kind of creations do you love building the most, and why? I have gone through phases with what I like to build but I always find myself coming back to space-themed builds especially spaceships. I love sci-fi so it is cool being able to see spaceships I have seen in movies and shows recreated using LEGO bricks.

Recently, I found myself gravitating towards creature builds because there is a unique challenge in trying to make organic figures using geometric bricks and plates.

If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring LEGO builders, what would it be? My one piece of advice to aspiring LEGO builders is to build as many different things as you can. Don’t just stick with the things you know. I always challenged myself to build different things like spaceships, buildings, vehicles, animals, and plants. This helped me to get a better understanding of how pieces can work together to create certain shapes.

Over the last year I have learned that the LEGO building system really is like a language. There are so many ways to connect pieces together so it is important to keep practicing so that you can gain a deeper understanding of how pieces can communicate to create something amazing!

How does it feel to have your work exhibited here at LEGO House - Home of the Brick? It truly is such a unique opportunity, and I feel honored to display my work at LEGO House! I have many friends who have never seen my builds, so it is crazy to be able to show them something I spent so much time on at one of, if not, the most important LEGO exhibition in the world!

Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website or social media profile that you can share? Yes! I share my work on my LEGO Instagram page, @thebrickamigo. I can also be found on the LEGO IDEAS website under the name “BrickAbe” – although this is a non-active profile now that I’m a LEGO Designer.

Title Entre Flores, Luz y Fuego (Between Flowers, Light and Fire)

Can you describe your model and what it represents? Entre Flores, Luz y Fuego (Between Flowers, Light and Fire) celebrates my Mexican heritage through the tradition of breaking piñatas. Each piñata reinterprets a symbol of celebration while sharing the same star-shaped structure found in classic Mexican piñatas. The first represents a Christmas tree, a tradition that has long filled my family’s home during the holidays. The second is inspired by the flor de nochebuena (poinsettia), a plant native to Mexico whose name reflects its connection to the holiday season. The third draws from a castillo de pirotecnia (firework castle), this tower of fireworks is central to patronal celebrations across Mexico. Papel picado is strung across the piñatas, representing another tradition that brings color and life to Mexican festivities. I also included small dioramas of some of my personal holiday memories!

How long did it take you to build? It took me several evenings over the span of 3 months to finish everything. The braided ropes alone took me around 10 hours.

Approximately how many LEGO elements did you use? I can’t even think how many pieces or how long I have spent on this because I restarted the shaping for the piñatas several times. It was something that I felt required special attention because then the piñatas would look too robotic.

Are there any hidden details, Easter eggs, or techniques used that fans should look out for? There are some other things that I really want to highlight. The ropes holding up the piñatas are made by braiding 9 LEGO string elements together. I have spent countless hours braiding while watching TV but it is a detail that I think is worth it. The small scene with the minifigures is based on my mom’s hometown in Mexico and many of the minifigures represent my friends and family. I thought it would be a special way to thank them for their support in me chasing after my dreams and show them how much I miss them. I hope to celebrate the holidays with them soon!