Lego Masters Australia judge: Who is Brickman (aka Ryan McNaught)
With LEGO Masters Australia currently captivating TV viewers, we thought it was only right that we gave you the lowdown on the star of the show, judge ‘The Brickman’ aka Ryan McNaught.
Despite enjoying a high-flying career as a chief information officer in the corporate world, Ryan often felt his job lacked the creative outlet he was craving.
A huge LEGO fan as a child, Ryan started winning awards for his building skills at the tender age of five. However, it wasn’t until he became a father to twin boys – who also love LEGO – that he rediscovered his passion.
When LEGO MINDSTORMS was released - a hardware and software platform for programmable robots based on LEGO bricks - the talented dad seized an opportunity to merge his professional skill and personal past time by developing a model of an Airbus A380 incorporating the LEGO MINDSTORMS robotics into physical building blocks.
In 2009, the Brickman's creation won Best in Show at Melbourne's "Brickvention", and was later displayed at the LEGO Brickworld event in Chicago, USA.
Ryan’s impressive creation caught the eye of of a LEGO executive and he was invited to become a LEGO certified professional.
Six months later, Ryan became the only person in the Southern Hemisphere to be recognised as a certified LEGO builder.
In 2010, Ryanlaunched his own Brickman business in Melbourne and now employs a team of passionate craftspeople who have built some of the world's most detailed and challenging LEGO constructions such as life-sized cars and the tallest LEGO model in the Southern Hemisphere.
Channel Nine confirmed Ryan is "thrilled" to take on the role of LEGO Masters judge.
The Brickman joins host Hamish Blake for the Nine network's latest project which premiered Sunday, April 28 at 7pm.
