Born in London in 1956, Lewis now lives and works in rural Cheshire. He originally trained in workshop engineering, going on to study fine art and illustration at the Kent Institute of Art and Design (Canterbury and Maidstone), achieving an honours degree. This practical grounding explains why Lewis has always been a little obsessed with the actual process of making as well as the results of that making. Exploring new materials and techniques has almost been a mission in itself.

Working methods often, if not always, shape the direction work takes, so new ways of working will often lead to unexpected results. Digital sculpting and 3d (FDM) printing initially seemed to be a way to future proof Lewis' making. Previous working mostly involved metalworking, fabricating and the like, but, with the passage of time, and the creaking of bones, these less physically demanding ways have become more the norm. Digital sculpting has led to a noticeable shift from primarily aiming for a 'distressed industrial' aesthetic to one more involving the human form directly. This way of working, though, still relies on much tried and tested finishing processes.

Aside from his artwork, Lewis has been known for his reproduction/model making activities; producing archive quality work for clients such as the National Council for Culture, Arts and Heritage, Qatar. Lewis’s extensive portfolio, although more recently almost exclusively three dimensional, includes painting, printmaking and sound. As varied as his work may be, early engineering influences are clearly visible and an intrinsic part of all that he does.

Lewis has work in many private collections, both in the UK and around the world, with commissions accounting for a large proportion of his output. He has exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions over the years, including shows at such prestigious venues as Cork Street and the Royal Festival Hall (London).

Lewis’s techniques are his own, developed over many decades. His methods of construction and use of process equate to a whole that eclipses craftsmanship and promotes a clear engagement with the works content and intent. To this end his work has included a number of active and interactive 3d pieces that utilise electronic and/or mechanical elements to engage the viewer and emphasise that intent. It is this work that led to Lewis’s greater interest in sound.

Our experience is arguably defined by, or at the very least reflected through, the technological landscape in which we live. However, it could also be said that that very environment removes us from what it is to be human. This dichotomy exists for us all and is increasingly a symptom of the human condition.

In these 'interesting' times it is conceivable, and equally as probable, that any utopian or dystopian narrative that can be envisaged could easily be realised as fact ...is it about the possible, or what we would wish for?

There is evidence of both a celebratory passion and an uncertain distrust in the work that I produce. Both elements are there out of necessity, not by design ...there are always questions, rarely answers.

Robert Lewis