Alan Williams Metal Artist

Early life

Alan was always drawing and sketching from an early age, with a particular fascination for nature, animals and unusual forms. He was drawn to the fantastical and the surreal and became interested in how creatures and organic forms could be imagined, reimagined and constructed.

H.R. Giger was an important early influence, particularly his fusion of organic, human and mechanical elements. Alan was also drawn to the flowing forms of Art Nouveau and the bold geometry and industrial precision of Art Deco.

Development of his practice

Alan graduated with a BA (Hons) in 3D Crafts from the University of Brighton. After leaving university, he spent several years learning traditional blacksmithing skills and went on to set up his own studio in 2004. For several years, he combined blacksmithing and fabrication with the development of his own artistic practice before beginning to make large-scale sculptures from reclaimed metal in 2007.

From 2010, his work became increasingly detailed. He moved away from the raw appearance of his early work and began working with smaller mechanical components to create more intricate forms. The method is technically demanding: he builds his sculptures from the inside out so no welds are visible in the finished work.

Materials, process and subjects

Alan works with objects that have already had a life. Tools, machinery, automotive parts and other pieces of mechanical salvage are selected not simply as raw material, but for their individual histories and associations. This approach has led to several memorial commissions, including his Lemmy memorial bust commissioned by Bloodstock Festival, where it makes an annual appearance. The sculpture is on permanent display at Nottingham Rock City.

He is interested in investigating the relationship between human industry and the natural world and his work reflects his commitment to sustainability, using materials that might otherwise be discarded to give them a second life with a new purpose and value. 

Wildlife has long been central to his work, with a particular focus on aquatic subjects and the otherworldliness of rivers and oceans. His sculptures also draw on folklore and mythology, featuring figures such as the Green Man and the Phoenix.

Public and International Work

Selected public art and international works include:

• Time Migration, a 2.2-metre Greenfinch commissioned by the Kuwait Industrial Union and permanently displayed in Al Shaheed Park, Kuwait
• Lemmy Kilmister memorial bust housing some of his ashes, commissioned by Bloodstock Festival, displayed at Rock City, Nottingham, between annual festival appearances.
• Scrap Art Exhibition, West Square, Souq Waqif, Doha, Qatar
• Rose arches designed for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, on permanent display
• Marlin sculpture, Valuable Scraps Symposium and touring exhibition, Ankara Turkey
• 14th/20th Kings Hussars Memorial, the National Arboretum, Staffordshire
• Scania Heart (Heart of the Company), Scania HQ Milton Keynes

Making It Out

Alongside his own practice, Alan is involved with Making It Out, a project that uses art and fabrication to support people in moving on from offending, homelessness or addiction. Through mentoring and the teaching of creative and practical skills, the project helps people build a different future as craftspeople, makers or artists.