Dan Rawlings, born in 1979, is a contemporary British artist known for his extraordinary manipulation of metal and light. He uses discarded industrial products such as old signs, tools and vehicles as a medium, breathing new life into them through a precise hand plasma cutting technique. His works are regarded as a modern realisation of „New Realism“, as they represent a poetic recycling of urban and industrial reality. By working with found objects, he challenges the viewer to re-evaluate the things that surround them.

His most spectacular projects include „Future Returns“, a plasma-cut petrol tanker, and „Short Haul“, a filigree cut-out light aircraft. Rawlings transforms heavy, everyday symbols of consumer culture into delicate works of art that inspire reflection on our modern environment and the future. His works have been presented internationally in cities such as London, Paris and Los Angeles and have attracted attention at prestigious events such as the Glastonbury Festival and the Chelsea Flower Show. His filigree sheet metal art uses light and shadow to break up the original industrial function of the objects and place them in a new, aesthetic context.