Art, by definition, is an expression of human creativity and imagination. It can present itself in numerous forms; from painting and graphic design to pottery and literature. But…what about welding? It may not be the one that most often comes to mind, but for us, it’s the one that inspires us the most.

Here are some phenomenal pieces of welded metalwork art that inspire our inner artist.

Alan Williams, an English metal artist, crafted this 8-foot tall phoenix as a commissioned piece. The phoenix is made up of galvanized steel with 3mm sheet copper and glass to add pops of color and dimension to the piece. Williams used other materials such as threaded bar, forged steel, metal cutlery, and motorbike sprockets to bring this custom piece to life. You can see more of Williams’s work by visiting his website here.

Welding artist David Madero crafted this awe-inspiring 27-foot tall by 17-foot wide golden eagle perched atop a cactus, gripping a rattlesnake in its talons and fangs. The project, named La Fuerza del Espíritu (or The Strength of the Spirit), took approximately 18 weeks to complete. The sculpture was crafted for Los Pinos, the official office of the President of Mexico, in Mexico City back in 2015. You can find more of Madero’s exceptional work here on his Instagram.

Istanbul-based metal sculptor, Selçuk Yılmaz, created this 11.5-foot tall, three-dimensional lion out of steel. The lion, named Kali, weighs over 770 pounds and is the artist’s largest piece to date. You can see more of Selçuk’s work on his Instagram page here.

Inspired by a M-60 submarine, Russian artist Igot Khrenov crafted this incredible BBQ cooker and octopus firewood stand. The cooker is complete with a frying pan and glass holders.

Hasan Novrozi, an Iranian sculptor, created this steampunk statue of a horse from automotive parts, scrap metal, and pieces of metal tools. In addition to welded sculptures, Novrozi also creates art from clay and other media.

This piece, also known as The Flybrary, is a 20-foot steel statue crafted by metalwork artist Christina Sporrong. Sporrong is best known for her work creating intricate and larger-than-life pieces for festivals. The Flybrary, a steel planar head with a flock of birds flying out of the top of the head, was created for the 2019 Burning Man festival. You can see how Sporrong brought this piece to life here.

Atlanta Falcon fans will recognize this amazing metal sculpture! Hungarian artist Gabor Miklos Szoke created this 41-foot tall, 73,000 pound stainless steel statue for the American football team, making it the largest bird statue in the world. Find out more about Szoke’s art here.

Eduardo Catalano of Argentina created this 75-foot tall flower sculpture in 2002. The sculpture, named Floralis Generica, weighs a whopping 36,000 pounds and is constructed out of stainless steel with an aluminum skeleton. The giant flower can be visited at the Plaza de las Naciones Unidas in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

This stainless steel and marble spider statue was handcrafted in 1999 by Louise Bourgeois, a French-American artist. The 30-foot tall spider, named Maman, can be seen at the Tate Modern in London.

This piece is one most people are familiar with – the Cloud Gate in Chicago, Illinois. Affectionally referred to as, The Bean, this piece was crafted by Indian-born British artist Sir Anish Kapoor. The piece, ranking in at 33-feet tall, is comprised of over 160 stainless steel plates that have been welded together so perfectly, there are no visible seams.

This last sculpture hits home for us as it is displayed in front of our parent company, Security Engineered Machinery (SEM) in Westborough, MA! The piece, named Weldage #5, is a painted aluminum sculpture created by artist Hans Van de Bovenkamp in 1989.

Regardless of what inspires us, we are always ready to bring those ideas and inspirations to life. At MFI, we have exceptional fabricators with decades of experience that are always ready to help you bring your vision to life.