Hello and welcome to my website.

My name is Martin Jarvis, a British kinetic sculptor working primarily in metal. After a career in machining and manufacturing engineering, I began my sculptural journey in 2020 following early retirement during lockdown. What started as a creative challenge soon became a passion, and in 2025 I established myself as a professional sculptor.

I'm delighted you've taken the time to explore my kinetic sculptures and artwork.

For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by metal and driven by an endless curiosity about how things work. Needless to say, anything that could be dismantled feared me and my trusty screwdriver. I simply had to know what was inside and how it all fitted together.

Growing up, motorcycles became another passion. I loved riding them, racing them, repairing them, occasionally falling off them, and customising them with parts I made myself. That hands-on approach taught me a great deal about working with metal and solving problems creatively. If I couldn't find what I needed, I would make it.

My working life began as a motor mechanic before evolving into a career in manufacturing and production engineering. When redundancy during the 2020 lockdown led to early retirement, I suddenly found myself with something I hadn't had much of before — time.

One conversation changed everything.

An ex-colleague and I were discussing the traditional Japanese swordsmiths featured in a television programme we'd both watched. Their dedication to craftsmanship fascinated me and left me thinking, "I can do that."

So I decided to try making a knife.

With very few tools available, I improvised. I shaped steel using old blunt files, built my own filing jig, and constructed a small furnace for heat treatment. It took around fifty hours to complete that first knife, but I was hooked. Many more followed.

Then came a request to make a weathervane.

I enjoy a challenge, and this certainly was one. While riding my motorcycle, an idea began forming in my mind. Back in the workshop, after plenty of trial and error, that idea became my first kinetic sculpture.

That was the moment I discovered my creative side.

Since then, there has been no stopping the ideas. What began with weathervanes quickly evolved into larger, more ambitious kinetic sculptures designed to capture movement, engage the imagination, and bring character to outdoor spaces.

Being creative does have its downsides. My partner and friends know me well enough to spot when I've drifted off mid-conversation. While they are talking, my mind is often busy calculating, designing, refining, and solving the next challenge. Usually this is followed by a gentle poke in the ribs and the familiar question:

"Head in the shed?"

"Yep."

The gallery on this website showcases some of my handcrafted kinetic sculptures. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoy creating them.

If you have any questions, would like to discuss a commission, or are interested in owning or co-creating a unique piece of kinetic art, please get in touch.

It's been lovely chatting, but the shed is calling...

Bye for now,

Martin