Rich Baker

Born and raised in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, I currently live and sculpt in the countryside near the famous theatre town of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. I have spent my life surrounded by the arts, am a trained welder and an avid outdoorsman. My love for the wildlife in my own backyard and across North America influences my every piece. Like the Group of Seven, I have spent years exploring the majestic northern wilds of Ontario, particularly Algonquin Park, and use these experiences to influence my art.

I use my extensive experience with metal to create highly detailed hollow form sculpture as I try to recreate each creature as accurately as possible in metal. Each piece is hand cut, hammered, formed and detailed, free form designed as I create, ensuring each sculpture is unique and will never be duplicated.

Artist Statement:
My art is continually evolving but always focused on realistic representations of the world around us.  Sheets of metal transform to vibrant manifestations of the human, animal and natural form.  The process of manipulating steel is not planned but rather instinctive; the figure springs forth from the imagination, the textures, shapes and colorations coming together as I hammer, grind and weld each...

I am a formally trained welder but a completely self-taught sculptor. I began sculpting simple pieces from metal and experimented with different techniques to create hollow form pieces. I see the finished piece in my head and work to build a form that I build out with details.

I have exhibited at the Algonquin Art Centre for the last five years, along with other group exhibitions in Toronto, Montreal and St. Andrews, New Brunswick. I also have pieces on permanent public exhibit at the Elora Sculpture Project, in Elora, Ontario, and the Heintzman House in Markham, Ontario.