Arizona Artist Spotlight: Looking Closer with Greg Mayer
Published: 09/23/2026
Meet Scottsdale-based artist Gregory Mayer, whose LEGO portraiture is featured in GPEC’s A New Way To See Greater Phoenix exhibit
“We see the surface, make assumptions, and move on.”
Local artist Greg Mayer seeks his artwork to bring power to people who have been overlooked, underestimated or treated unfairly. The result of his work itself represents the same misperceptions that so many people make. From afar, a viewer sees what appears to be a clear, full image, but only as the person gets closer, it is clear that thousands of intricate pieces make up the work, a medley of LEGO pieces that make the audience rediscover what they thought they already knew.
Greg’s Seen in Circles, featured in the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) A New Way to See Greater Phoenix exhibit, is a portrait of a Hopi woman built entirely from thousands of small plastic pieces of LEGO. The broader view blurs as the individual; circular LEGO pieces come more into focus, but upon stepping back out, the viewer has a clearer image than ever before.
“This piece is about slowing down and really looking. The closer you get, the more you realize there is much more there,” Greg said. “I hope the work conveys strength, dignity, and the importance of truly seeing someone — not just seeing their face, but recognizing the history, identity, and life behind it.”
The artist’s creative process starts with a person or idea of a person he wants to bring power to. From there, he looks for a photo with strong contrast, a well-framed shot, and a compelling expression. What follows may be months of work: image research, digital preparation, a grid to guide construction, and hand-painting individual bricks to get colors standard LEGO sets don’t have. That care carries all the way to the end — a difficult part for Greg, as he knows the gluing of the piece is a permanent decision. He moves it around the house, walking by to ensure he sees what he’s looking for.
“If I am not a little obsessed with it, it is probably not a piece I should be showing others,” he said.
Greg makes work as he’s compelled to rather than for public consumption, he said.
“Make art for yourself, not with the end user in mind,” he advised. “What drives me is wanting to evolve, get better, and create things that do not already exist.”
That personal quality comes from the Southwest. As his home for more than half of his life, the region supplies the light, landscape and the western spirit he says he carries inside him. Greg does not recreate western art but rather looks for new and personal connections to his place.
Standing in front of Seen in Circles, it’s hard not to do exactly what Greg intended: stop, step closer, and look again.