CLOUD STRIFE
Kinetic Sculpture Artist ⚙ Manchester
Post: c.strife@example.com
Bell: 0161 555 0248
Workshop: Ancoats, Manchester
Portfolio: strife-kinetics.example.com
I build motorized brass sculptures that turn, tick, and swing on their own power. Over 14 years I have delivered 31 commissioned pieces, from a 4 metre orrery in a hotel lobby to pocket-sized automata sold in runs of 50. My work sits at the point where clockmaking and metalwork meet, and I do most of the machining, gear-cutting, and finishing by hand. I own more taps and dies than I care to admit to my accountant.
Founder & Lead Fabricator · Cogwright Studio
2016 – Present
- Run a two-person workshop in Ancoats, completing 4 to 6 commissioned kinetic works a year with an average build time of 11 weeks.
- Designed and cut a 340-tooth brass ring gear for a public lobby orrery that has run 9 hours a day since 2021 with one bearing service.
- Grew commission fees from an average of 3,200 GBP in 2016 to 14,500 GBP in 2024 while keeping a waitlist of 6 to 8 clients.
Restoration Machinist · Pendleton Horology Works
2012 – 2016
- Rebuilt movements for 27 antique automata and turret clocks, hand-fitting replacement pinions to tolerances under 0.02 mm.
- Cut lost fusee chains and escape wheels on a 1940s lathe, reducing outsourced part costs by roughly 40%.
Workshop Technician · Salford Metal Arts Collective
2009 – 2012
- Maintained 3 manual lathes and a milling machine used by 22 member artists, logging 95% uptime across the workshop.
- Taught brazing and silver-soldering to 40+ beginners in weekend classes.
Turning Points (solo)
Ironbridge Craft Gallery, 2023 · 11 works, 4,100 visitors
Mechanical Menagerie
Manchester Makers Fair, 2021 · group show, 6 automata
Steam & Sinew
Leeds Industrial Museum, 2019 · commissioned centrepiece
First Movement
Salford Open Studios, 2015 · debut kinetic series
- Myford ML7 lathe daily
- Dividing head & gear hobbing
- TIG & oxy-acetylene
- Fusion 360 for cut plans
Training
BA Three-Dimensional Design, MMU 2008
City & Guilds Fabrication L3
BHI Horology short course, 2013