LEGO Hell

For those unfamiliar, Cocytus is the “river of wailing” (one of four rivers) that flows through the underworld of Greek mythology. As you would expect from a depiction of hell, the suffering in this build by is very apparent. Figures appear impaled, despairing, and thrashing in the mire of Cocytus. The imagery of Sisyphus pushing his burden up the hill is instantly recognizable, though the absolutely harrowing figure in place of the hill is rather novel. It stares on with dead eyes and an expression of apathy, appearing as a symbol of power and hopelessness over the damned.

Artistic interpretation aside, the builds here are very impressive. Mihai has accomplished an incredible shape with the head of the stone figure, and the dead trees are packed with detail. The partially submerged wheel is particularly appealing in its symmetry and structure, and fills out its corner of the diorama perfectly. Overall, this is a haunting build that exudes both simplicity of style (composed almost entirely of 5 colors) and complexity in technique and symbolism.

Originally published at https://www.twistedbricks.com on December 13, 2020.