Trent Ahern

BRICK DAYS 2024 BUILDER OF THE PLAINS AWARD WINNER

How long have you been building with LEGO? How long have you been creating MOCs?

I have been attached to Lego for as long as I can remember from my earliest days with the initial release of Bionicle and the set Rig Racers (6424). MOC building started from those early days being inspired by the alternate builds on the back of boxes and manuals. I began to take it much more seriously in 2016 when I got out of school and realized that the world was much more accepting of making art out of a children's toy.

What made you interested in LEGO?

I was completely drawn in by the wonderful worlds of the in-house themes. The way you could not only rewrite the stories in your own way but also rebuild the models to fit the story provided an endless outlet for imagination.

What creation of yours are you most proud of? 

My favorite build so far is the Tinker Tub. I'm incredibly happy with how it turned out. I love all the details I was able to cram into the captain's cabin and the playful nature of a walking pirate ship. It's not a perfect build, but it reminds me of all the fun parts of Lego everytime I look at it.

What are your favorite creations to build and why?

I love to build spaceships and sci-fi, but more than that, the builds I like to make the most are any that utilize parts in a new way. I like the challenge of finding a use for any part someone deems useless and giving it a new home in a build that makes it feel like a special detail. What's more fun than turning a Juniors boat hull into the nosecone of a rocket or all those spare stud shooter triggers into roof tiles?

What was your favorite part about Brick Days?

The people really make the show. It's a gathering of a bunch of nerds gushing over plastic bricks and I'm all for it. It's a showcase of the great positivity of the community as a whole that drives it as one of the best events of the year!