Ollie Holman is a British sculptor working primarily in steel, recycled metals and bronze. Based in North Yorkshire, his work explores movement and balance across both equine and human forms.

An early fascination with metal began at fourteen, welding scrap cogs and offcuts from his father’s yard. Drawn to the stubborn yet expressive nature of steel, he later studied art and design at Leeds College of Art and Loughborough University before returning fully to sculpture.

Working without formal fabrication or foundry training, Ollie has developed an instinctive, hand-led approach to shaping metal. He cuts, forms and welds by eye, refining the structure of a form until it feels alive. Rather than chase literal detail, his sculptures are pared back to essential lines and gestures, allowing movement, tension and character to emerge through minimal means.

Recycled car body panels, stainless steel, horseshoes and found metal frequently enter his practice. Beyond their sustainability, these materials carry colour, weight and history. In his equine works, automotive panels subtly echo the shift from horsepower to horsepower a historical loop that becomes literal in the material itself.

Ollie’s sculptures have been acquired by private collectors, galleries and interior designers, and feature in both public and private settings across the UK and internationally. Early recognition came through the BBC programme Home Is Where the Art Is, and he has since completed a number of public commissions, including a full-scale Shire horse for Swansea Council and a rearing horseshoe sculpture installed along a historic canal.

Across all subjects, his intention remains consistent: to make metal feel unexpectedly alive, and to capture movement held in stillness.

Life is just that bit better for a bit of Ollie in it!

We first came across Ollie when we were captured by his talent, and sheer enthusiasm for his craft, when he appeared on “Home is where the Art is” on BBC- a lockdown godsend of a show.

Having seen the lengths he took to understand the nuances and complexities of his commission on the show, we were prompted to look him up and enquire as to how we could go about having our own piece made. We’d recently moved to the Isle of Man from Hampshire-a move that afforded us a bigger house, but in turn, a lot of empty wall space, and there was one space in particular that seemed perfect for one of Ollie’s sculptures.

Neither of us being remotely artistic, and more of the “we know what we like” school of commissioning, we gave Ollie what we now realise must have been a wildly open brief. “We trust you Ollie” was probably more of a curse to him than a blessing to him, but it turns out our trust was well founded. Through a series of on-line meetings, messaging and photo exchanges, from seemingly nowhere a magnificent sculpture emerged that hangs pride of place in our home, having been transported to the island and installed by Ollie himself.

It is not every young man that would leave his friends and family behind on his 30th birthday to deliver his work! Every new visitor to our home upon remarking upon Ollie’s work reminds us afresh just how lucky and honoured we are to have found Ollie at the point in his career that we did, for he is truly a talent to watch.

Emma and Mark Cox- Isle of Man

The finished piece is just perfect and much admired by all who see it.

Ollie first came to our attention during his successful appearance on the BBC programme "Home is where the art is". Living in an old Blacksmith's cottage we wanted to commission a piece made from horseshoes to reflect its history. We contacted Ollie and went to his workshop to discuss options.

The range and quality of his various pieces were a joy to behold! We decided on a wall piece to be displayed outside on the wall of our barn. The finished piece is just perfect and much admired by all who see it. The old Blacksmith would be as proud as we are.

Sam and Liz - Yorkshire

Surprise my husband on his birthday.

My husband has a love of horses and for his 70th birthday, I researched and discovered Ollie Holman's sculptures. I purchased a beautiful horse head that my husband was thrilled to receive. I live in the US and Ollie is in England. He took care of handling the shipping and it arrived in perfect shape and on time to surprise my husband on his birthday.

Peter and Joanne - Miami, USA

Positive, excited, dynamic and collaborative.

From the moment we spoke to Ollie about an exterior version of his grazing horse, he was positive, excited, dynamic and collaborative. He shared his progress throughout the process and problem shared willingly when we had questions. We couldn’t be happier with the end result and we would go as far as to say it’s better than we ever imagined.

Thank you so much Ollie

Luke and Mia - Surrey, England