From Steel To Soaring Wings Mark Bishop’s A Sweeping Shadow

Mark Bishop, and his work: A Sweeping Shadow, winner of the Sculptural Form category at the 2026 Hinchinbrook Birdlife Awards. Photo credit: Victoria Velton

‍

By Victoria Velton

‍

A few pieces of steel, a welder and an idea was all Mark Bishop needed to create the sculpture that took out the Sculptural Form Award at the recent Hinchinbrook Birdlife Awards. The winning work depicts a bird soaring above its audience.

‍

The sculpture was made entirely from steel, with copper incorporated into part of the work, and took just over a fortnight to complete.

For Mark, working with metal is as much about the process as the finished piece. His sculptures are created through welding rather than casting or smelting, with different metals requiring different approaches and techniques. His choice of materials is also practical. Living close to the coast means durability is an important consideration.

‍

“Because of the climate, we're close to salt water, so I wanted something that was durable and could withstand the test of time,” he said.

Mark has been creating sculptural work for around three years, although the desire to make art has been with him for much longer.

‍

“It was something that I've always wanted to do when I was younger, but never really got the opportunity to,” he said.

“I make the artwork so that people can enjoy it."

‍

Winning the Sculptural Form Award has also given Mark greater confidence to continue pushing his work.

“It gives me more confidence to do other things, and it's nice to know that people actually recognise the amount of time and effort that goes into doing something like that,” he said.

‍

Mark credits the support of the local community, particularly TYTO Art Gallery, with encouraging him to keep creating and entering his work. That encouragement is especially meaningful to him in an industry where much creative work is now being produced through computer-controlled machinery.

‍

“To do something that's totally free, where you can just do it in your own mind, is much more satisfying,” Mark said.

Mark's work can be found through local markets, TYTO Art Gallery and a small gallery at his home, where visitors can see some of the metal birds that have become a feature of his artistic practice.

‍

With the award, Mark is continuing to chase the opportunity to turn his ideas into something beautifully tangible.

‍