Melbourne based artist Brett Coelho works with found materials and objects to produce unique products with an industrial yet playful edge.
Brett studied fine art, followed by graphic design. He spent ten years working as a graphic designer in Melbourne, Sydney and New York and after a brief but memorable stint as a commercial fisherman and dive instructor in Far North Queensland he returned to Melbourne in 2004 to become a full-time artist.
Brett’s most recent works Speed Light are pendant lights made from legally collected and recycled street signs, water-jet cut and hand folded. The shades are enamel sprayed with various colours on the inside and polyurethane sealed, protecting the original surface of the street sign on the outside. The size is largely dictated by the dimensions of the sign, making each pendant unique and keeping waste to a minimum.
“This work is about celebrating the ordinary, finding beauty in the most unlikely of places. The fact that my work is made from recycled materials is important. I think there is enough 'stuff' in the world already and far too much waste.” –Brett Coelho