Rising Stars: Meet Ivan Iler

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ivan Iler. 

Hi Ivan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have loved to build and invent things ever since I was a kid, but it wasn’t until High School that I started with welding and fabrication, completely self-taught. In 2009, I opened Hammer in Hand custom cycles where I built and worked on custom motorcycles, but during the Pandemic, I shut that part of the shop down to focus completely on art and fabrication. Most recently, I was on Metal Shop Masters, a Netflix original series that features myself and some other really incredible metal fabricators competing for a 50k prize, and am currently working on several different public art sculptures as well as some custom art for independent clients. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think just about every small business owner/artist will tell you that it’s not always a smooth road. There’s a lot of risk and uncertainty that comes with starting up your own business. I didn’t have much growing up, so I had to work hard to be able to invest in myself and my business, and there have definitely been times where I’ve been worried losing the shop, but you just keep focused on the vision and your goals, and you do what you can with what you have, and you make it work. The pandemic has obviously created some obstacles, as well. It was hard to let go of the motorcycle side of the shop, even if I am grateful to be more full-time focused on my art and fabricating now. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a Michigan-based artist best known for my larger-than-life kinetic metal sculptures. I love to create works of art that highlight the intersection of science and art, creating realistic pieces that breathe movement and life into inanimate objects. I use various mediums such as metal fabrication, sculpting, carving, engraving, blacksmithing, painting, leather smithing, and more. I am very passionate about inspiring a sense of wonder and curiosity through my art and my sculptures.

I would say my specialty, and something that sets me apart as an artist is my use of kinetics, or my ability to create sculptures that move in realistic and scientifically accurate ways. I tend to see the world a little differently than most, and my curiosity around figuring out how things work, and seeing the beauty in mechanics helps me to create truly unique pieces of art that others may not have even thought of.

How do you think about happiness?

Creating art makes me happy because it’s in my blood and it’s what I was born to do. 

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.ivanilerstudios.com
• Instagram: @ivan_iler
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ivanilerstudios
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLLR64LW0IEuT32Z61cgsdw

Image Credits
Brooke Elizabeth
Bad Witch Images