There’s something captivating about the way Chris Hynes sees beauty where others see waste. For over a decade, this American artist has been turning discarded junkyard metal into hauntingly beautiful sculptures—a powerful fusion of industrial toughness and organic grace.
A graduate of the Ringling School of Art and Design, Chris first explored working with metal under the mentorship of fine artist John Williams. What started as an experiment quickly became his calling. Today, scrap metal sculptures are not just his medium—they’re his message.
Chris spends hours searching through local scrap yards, handpicking discarded parts that most people would overlook. These weathered pieces—rusted gears, bent pipes, broken tools—often spark the beginning of a new creation. To balance the hardness of the metal, he adds sculpted clay elements that bring a softness and lifelike presence to his work.
His recent series is especially moving. It focuses on critically endangered species, with each sculpture capturing a fragile balance between survival and extinction. Whether it’s a delicate bird with steel wings or a quiet predator frozen in time, these pieces speak to the tension between human impact and nature’s resilience.
What makes Chris Hynes’ art truly stand out is how it invites reflection—on beauty, on waste, and on what we choose to preserve. His recycled metal art doesn’t just look amazing; it tells stories that matter.
Like Chris’s unique pieces, head over to his website and give him a follow on Instagram.
Want more? You can explore Chris Hynes’ full collection of recycled metal art and endangered species sculptures on his website, and follow along on Instagram for a behind-the-scenes look at how each piece comes to life.