Welcome to Mondo Works
Inspirational Copper Creations. Handmade in Portugal.
The inspiration for copper came from our plumbing resources as we always had an abundance of copper piping so there was always a lot of material to work with. In fact, one of our first sculptures was a Flamingo made from 100-year-old toilet parts. Another early creation “The Octopus” can be seen in our video above.
After a car accident back in the early ’90s, Mondo suddenly felt the urge to start welding artistically and started playing around with the copper pipes. without any art training. It felt really natural for him to pick up my torches and start creating life-size creatures.
THE SHARK
As I continued, it became clear that Mondo could create anything. So he started to get bigger with the creatures. Sharks took over, in fact in San Fransisco, he soon became known as ‘The Shark Man’, and all over the warehouse, continuing outside on the Streets of San Fransisco hung all of his “creative creatures”. It became a local landmark and he quickly became a local celebrity. After winning a Microsoft Competition that involved the “Copper Cat” with a computer mouse hanging out of his mouth, it became clear that this was a talent and skill he wanted to pursue more seriously.
THE GIRAFFE
When Mondo arrived in London in 2002, he was featured in some galleries including London Micky Tiroche Fine Arts Gallery and Jeremy Wallers Primavera Gallery in Cambridge. We were becoming local celebrities again but this time in London, mainly because of our 18ft tall, life-size Giraffe which had become a landmark in North London. We also had the Local Press feature us as ‘The Stark Man in North London’.
THE JOURNEY TO TODAY…
We have appeared on Channel Four’s successful show ‘Four Rooms’ which back in April 2013, where we sold ‘The Shiny Copper Octopus’ to a renowned and famous interior designer Shaun Clarkson who is the owner of Shaun Clarkson ID Interiors and also of a eclectic and chic shop in Shoreditch London called Pitfieds of London. The Copper shiny Octopus will be showcased in London’s famous store Selfridges this winter.
At this point in my career I would love to be commissioned to build an Elephants Head and also my daughter who is five and is obsessed with Dinosaurs and is pleading with me to build a Brontosaurus. However I am a little concerned what my neighbours will feel about that!
Copper has been said to be a non weld able alloy. I have proven that theory to be incorrect. Although it is complicated when achieved it has an amazing effect. Over the years the elements outside the Copper becomes weathered and changes an array of colours from early stages of greys and light greens to very light stages of turquoise greens and blues. However if preferred can be polished to almost a copper gold appearance and shiny like a mirror. Either displays an amazing look and it is a matter of preferred personal choice.
Even though an Elephants head is my next personal challenge I would be prepared to tackle anything from creatures of the sea, jungle or sky, copper gates or doors or anything that anyone wishes. Any challenge undertaken.
Mondo works 