Hugh Holborn is that rare kind of craftsman who is also an auteur in his own right. He brings industrial materials such as steel, iron and salvaged metals to life as metallic marine life, honoring the aquatic creatures around which he lives. Growing up between the New England islands and Florida, Holborn feels blessed to have always lived boating on and swimming in the waters that now inspire his metalwork. Memories from diving and fishing are important parts of his life, yet with climate change and increased environmental concerns he also recognizes his experience with the ocean as impermanent. He started his journey when he was 12 as an apprentice for New Mexico sculptor Jim Martin—a man out of time who was simultaneously amazed by Holborn’s “space age” Nokia cell phone, while making contemporary sculpture with his metallic colossi. Being both inspired by and experiencing this life, Holborn started a journey to acquire the tools and skills to bring his own creations to life. Holborn soon found himself stymied in that his artist’s imagination far outpaced his technical ability. To solve this, he attended the American College of Building Art. While there, a leapfrog between his artist’s mind and craftsman hands began. Holborn’s studies and work focused on the English smiths of the 19th century, and the thought of working for an artistic purpose largely lay dormant. Once graduating, he rediscovered his desire to make art, and was able to use his newfound knowledge of pre-industrial craftsmanship to create his artistic style. The artist and the craftsman have learned how to run in tandem, resulting in work that reaches back to the 1800’s and brings that process into the contemporary mind. Holborn now lives in St. Augustine, Florida with his girlfriend and their newborn twin daughters. His artwork has given him a sense of self reliance and environmental stewardship—being able to craft functional items for his own home and doing so in a way he knows is environmentally conscious. He plans to keep creating art using historical methods, and wants to keep those methods alive by teaching them to new craftsman and artists.