David Madero uses welding to construct his large-scale and dramatic works of art. Sculpting under the name Madero / Co., he transforms smooth pieces of steel into highly textured creations that highlight themes of power, determination, and the strength of ordinary men. His artistic imagery regularly features dynamic creatures, gestural figures, and subjects at odds with one another. There’s an element of tension in every sculpture–whether it be visually or conceptually–that makes his pieces both awe-inspiring and exciting.
Welding, in its earliest forms, dates back to nearly 300 CE and was first used in the construction of buildings. Madero reinterprets this ancient craft with his emotive works, elevating welding to express raw, artistic beauty, which is best shown in one of his newest pieces–a bearded skull created for Jack Daniels, whose facial hair twists and turns into a bubbling appendage that gives the inanimate bone a life of its own.
Madero and his team capture the welding process through short videos on his Instagram.
Madero’s incredible portfolio of work also boasts larger-than-life sculptures.
