Sam Sykes

The featured artist for May 2021.

Artist Bio:

Prior to welding, I made my wages as a professional poker player, but eventually I became bored and complacent. I was living in Asheville in 2015, and as luck would have it, I was introduced to the idea of welding by a friend. A week later I was signed up for welding classes at CPCC and living back in my hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina.

While in school, I worked for a staircase company that allowed for real life applications of what I was learning. I eventually went off on my own and started doing architectural design work. I have done everything from railings to furniture, and even a custom metal slide.

My love for metal stems from the art it can create. I have always been in awe of monumental structures and architecture. That feeling when you walk up to an object in the world, craning your neck to look up at it, and being captivated by it. That is why I got into metal work. I want to create monumental pieces, and this show is part of that process.

Artist Statement:

In creating these pieces, I wanted to convey the solidity of the media juxtaposed with the movement and fluidity in the forms. By creating biomorphic shapes, the pieces seem to both crystallize and flow, thus providing a stark contrast to the materials used.