Born in 1969 in Wombwell, a mining village near Barnsley, Yorkshire, Shaun Gagg grew up surrounded by the honest labour and rough textures of a working-class community. From an early age, art offered an escape, and a passion. He was drawn especially to the surrealist visions of Salvador Dalí, whose ability to make the impossible feel viscerally real left an indelible mark.

His early career as a roofer introduced him to working with slate, a material he would eventually transform into his first sculptures. The Peak District became his studio: Shaun began balancing large rocks in water and creating intricate land art, heavily inspired by the work of Andy Goldsworthy. He also drew deeply from the organic forms of Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, masters of volume, space, and the human figure in stone.

After relocating to the coast of Flamborough near Bridlington, he turned to larger slate sculptures, physically demanding work that eventually took a toll on his health. An injury to his leg changed everything.

Forced to construct a metal calliper for himself, Shaun rediscovered welding. Free from the organic constraints of stone, his imagination finally had no boundaries. For the past 20+ years he has worked exclusively in welded metal, transforming everyday objects like coins, nails, and keys into large-scale works that exist somewhere between the industrial and the sublime.

His works range from figurative torsos and animals to pure abstract form, and are available through his store and by bespoke commission. Each piece is a singular, unrepeatable object, part of no edition, matched to no other.