Richard Bindon is a self-taught metalwork artist based in Swindon, working under the name Solo Metal Arts. His work is inspired by wildlife and science fiction, alongside bespoke commissions that allow him to explore a wide range of subjects.

He has had a lifelong connection to metalworking, growing up around his father’s engineering business and becoming familiar with tools and machinery from an early age. This early exposure led him to train as a toolmaker in the early 1990s, building a long career in precision engineering alongside his developing sculptural practice.

In 2015, he began creating his own work at home, initially producing science-fiction inspired pieces, including a steel model of the Millennium Falcon and a life-sized Terminator bust. These early projects led him towards exploring wildlife forms, particularly birds such as robins, wrens, kingfishers and owls, created from welded cutlery. The work proved popular when exhibited locally.

More recently, he has been focusing on stainless steel sheet as his primary material, while still allowing occasional unexpected elements to appear in his compositions.