“I make useless mechanical machines,” says British artist, Nik Ramage, who combines recovered objects, wit and movement into playful kinetic sculptures.

Although his professional background is in graphic design, Ramage has always enjoyed messing around with machines. He is self-taught in mechanics and soldering, and in an electronic age, delights in simple mechanisms with visible workings. The objects used in his sculptures are sourced from second-hand stores and markets, with new parts kept to a minimum.

Ramage’s machines serve no obvious purpose, humorously encouraging viewers to reconsider the concepts of utility or futility and the absurdities of everyday life. Balance and instability are central too, with sculptures often embracing fragility or movement.

Nik Ramage has exhibited in London, Hong Kong and Budapest, including at the show Artwork, Objects & Curiosities, at London, in 2019; Practical Daydreams show at The Shophouse, Hong Kong, 2020 and Knotenpuknt21, at Affenfaust Galerie, Hamburg in 2021. He has been a visiting lecturer at Middlesex University and Central St. Martins. In 2019, Nik was elected to become an academician at The Royal West of England Academy in Bristol.