The Artist

Michael Kusz is a Yorkshire based sculptor creating unique works from recycled materials, mainly copper. 

A maker all his life, he grew up within the industrial history of South Wales. Michael's father, a coal-miner, later worked at Port Talbot steelworks and had a shed full of all sorts of tools and materials – ideal for an eager young inquisitive mind. Passionate hours were spent engrossed in dismantling, discovering and researching how things were made. Methods and processes gleaned through book-worming setting a basic foundation for the work he produces today.

His current work aims to recapture an essence of his childhood, that sense of joy of the absurd and unexpected discovery embodied through characters like Rooks - gregarious, mischievous and demonstrating a clear sense of freedom and fun.

Copper is the predominant material Michael works with, 'a fantastic metal - versatile in the extreme. Stretch it, shrink it, cast it, electro-plate it, hammer it, punch it, it’ll do anything you ask of it'. Copper has a  range of natural colours due to oxidation of the surface and taking up to 90 years outside just to turn from bright copper to verdigris green. 

 Michael begins a new piece by immersing himself in the subject, intensively researching to get a feel for its nature, gaining insights as to how it will transcribe into metal and often resulting in creative custom tooling and templates. Through templates he produces an extensive body of work, to his highest possible standard. 

Michael's work tends to draw the eye and really loves an open vista to fully enjoy it.

Michael's hope is that when people see this work their inner critic smiles, and they too feel the keen sense of enjoyment and excitement that was experienced while creating them.