Artists work in a variety of media, and thanks to the wonders of the internet, we’re often treated to some of the more unusual that we might not have seen otherwise. Take talented artist Giovanni Contardi, for example. His medium of choice is made up of hundreds of Rubik’s cubes meticulously and artfully arranged to make portraits of some of pop culture’s most famous faces. (You read that right. Rubik’s cubes.)
Recently, Contardi shared a portrait of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made from over 700 cubes, and it caught the attention of the big man himself! The Rock’s self-deprecating response when sharing the piece highlights the humble attitude that we all love him for.
You can find time-lapse videos of the portraits being pieced together on Instagram, like this Dave Grohl portrait, to give you an idea of the process and creativity that goes into putting them all together. Contardi also revealed that he’s a Rubik’s cube-solving champ, having won a competition earlier this year. His speed and nimbleness turning the cube pieces is almost as stunning as his artwork.
From Marvel superheroes to Hollywood legends to beloved musicians, each portrait is immediately recognizable. You might think that the limited color palette of a Rubik’s cube might hinder Contardi’s artistic vision, but it just makes the portraits all that more bold and striking.
Here are a few more of our favorite portraits from Contardi’s Instagram account in their pixelated glory.
Whose pixelated portrait would you love to see next? Tell us in the comments.
Featured Image: Universal
