David Wood

About the artist

David Wood is an artist blacksmith and sculptor, and the founder of Bent Metal. He works mainly in forged and fabricated metal, making public sculpture, architectural metalwork, gates, seating and site-specific works for public spaces, private clients, councils, developers and community organisations. David was born near Mount Baw Baw, on Gunaikurnai and Wurundjeri Country, and grew up in the industrial heartland of the Latrobe Valley. He learned metal trade skills and technical drawing through the local mining industry. His grandfather, a blacksmith, first introduced him to forging with anvil and hammer in the back shed. David moved to Melbourne in the late 1980s and later undertook three years of mentoring and tutoring with Swiss-German master blacksmith Bernard Würst. In 1993, using his grandfather’s anvil, he established Bent Metal in Prahran.

Bent Metal is now based in a former 1890s bakery in South Melbourne, where David continues to design and make work by hand. His practice brings together sculpture, traditional forging, drawing, design, engineering knowledge and a strong feeling for place. David’s public works are made to hold their own in outdoor settings, while also giving character, memory and imagination to the places where they sit. Major commissions include the Five Commemorative Gates for the 150th anniversary of St Kilda Botanical Gardens, Nardoo Rotunda in Berwick, and Acacia — The Three Elders in Cranbourne. His work in the City of Port Phillip also includes Smik Rocket on Acland Street, the St Kilda Love Seat, community gates for Veg Out Community Gardens, and work for the EcoCentre.

David’s drawings and paintings are also closely connected to place. From his South Melbourne studio, he has drawn and painted the changing skyline around Fishermans Bend and the industrial edge of Port Phillip. His Blue Moon and Cityscape works also draw on local landmarks, including Luna Park, and the shifting face of Melbourne. David has been a finalist in both the Montalto Sculpture Prize and the Lorne Sculpture Biennale, and has won the People’s Choice Award twice at Montalto. Across his work, he balances traditional craft with contemporary public art, making pieces that are robust, imaginative and grounded in their site.

Website: https://www.bentmetal.com.au/

Artist's work