About the Artist Oleg Shyshkin.

 

Oleg Shyshkin is the owner of “Wrought Iron Art Ltd.”, "Wrought Iron Art Unlimited", Canada. This year the company "Wrought Iron Art Ltd "celebrates its 28th Anniversary in North America. In August of 1996, Oleg Shyshkin, an architect by profession, opened a creative studio in Toronto, Canada, for the design and artistic forging of wrought iron. In short order, it became one of the most renowned and sought-after in North America.

 

Shyshkin had extensive experience as an architect, interior designer and artist in his homeland, Ukraine, in Russia and Moldova, where he had supervised and participated in many prestigious projects. Early in his career, Shyshkin had been fascinated by artistic blacksmiths, which he considered an intensely graphic form of art. He believed no other technique could transform lines into art as well as wrought iron.

 

Shyshkin imported old European traditions of artistic forging to North America. Blending his love of French Art-Nouveau and Art-Deco, he created a personal style that is unmistakably his own. His originality has intrigued clients, who rush to place new orders.

 

Shyshkin has been commissioned to create pure art; sculptures and decorative pieces; as well as architectural compositions, including gates and fence system, garden gates, staircase,     railings, for both interior and exterior use. He has also been asked to make functional objects, such as lights, lanterns, chandeliers,candelabras, fireplace accessories, mailboxes,  wrought iron tables, dinner tables, coffee tables, fish tank stands, birds cages, garden swings, canopies, spiral stairs, gazebos, trellises, clocks, sculptures and Objects d Arts. 

 

He creates the designs himself; from preliminary sketches to architectural working drawings; and does most of the fabrication as well. Every work is one-of- a-kind, confirming Shyshkin’s originality.


Oleg opened a branch of the Canadian art workshop in Brooklyn NY in the Red Hook area. The workshop produced highly artistic works made using the wrought iron technique for the city of New York and surrounding areas, such as New Jersey, Long Island, Connecticut and much much more. the branch existed from 2014 to 2020, and was closed due to the COVID 19 pandemic and the business problems that arose in connection with it. During this time, the Red Hook workshop created a large number of objects in New York and the surrounding area. Many private properties in areas such as Staten Island, Mill Basin, Hewlett Harbor, Forest Hills, and many others have become clients of the branch.

From 1999 to 2011, Oleg Shyshkin’s studio “Wrought Iron Art Ltd”, Oakville, ON, Canada received 27 professional awards (Gold-18; Silver-4; Bronze-4 and one award of excellence)  in The Ernest Wiemann Top Job Awards Competition (an international competition sponsored by the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association), fourteen of them gold medals, including:

Gold award, 2000, Railing “Natasha”       / Reno, NV, USA/
Gold award, 2000, Door Grill “Mexico”     / Reno, NV, USA/
Bronze award, 2000, Gate “Casa Notre”  / Reno, NV, USA/

Gold award, 2001, Door Grill “Wine”         /Savannah, GA, USA/
Gold award, 2001, Console “Fantasy”     /Savannah, GA, USA/
Silver award, 2001, Gate “Magic Forest”  /Savannah, GA, USA/
Bronze award, 2001 Railing “Art Deco”   /Savannah, GA, USA/

Gold award, 2002, Railing “Lady Bug”     / Galveston, TX, USA/
Gold award, 2002, Gate “Art Nouveau”    / Galveston, TX, USA/        
Bronze award, 2002, Console “Magnolia” / Galveston, TX, USA/

 

Silver award, 2003, Railing “Ludmila”      /Covington, KY, USA/

Gold award, 2004, Fountain “Holly Ghost”  /Sacramento, CA, USA/

Gold award, 2004, Balcony “Vienna”            /Sacramento, CA, USA/
Gold award, 2004, Gate “Kings Brook”        /Sacramento, CA, USA/

Gold award, 2007, Bed “Anthony”            /Dustin, FL, USA/

Gold award, 2007, Door “Anthony”           /Dustin, FL, USA/

Gold award, 2007, Architectural Composition “Ukrainian Spring”  /Dustin, FL, USA/

 

Gold award, 2009, Gate “Zoriana”                         /Long Beach, CA, USA/

Gold award, 2009, Door “Opium”                 /Long Beach, CA, USA/        

Silver award, 2009, Railing “Leonid”        /Long Beach, CA, USA/    

Silver award, 2009, Mailbox “Apple Tree”   /Long Beach, CA, USA/

 

 

Award of the Year (Mitch Heitler Award for Excellence)

                                                 /New Orleans, LA, USA/

Gold award, 2011, “Weston Estate Gate” /New Orleans, LA, USA/

Gold award, 2011, Railing “Opium”          /New Orleans, LA, USA/

Gold award, 2011, Stairs “Donna”                        /New Orleans, LA, USA/

Gold award, 2011, “Tree of Happiness”   /New Orleans, LA, USA/

 Bronze award, 2011, Gate “Simon”                     /New Orleans, LA, USA/

 

 

 

Shyshkin is a member of many artistic associations, including AIA (American Institute of Architects), BABA (British Artist Blacksmith Association), ABANA (Artist Blacksmith Association of North America), NOMMA (National Ornamental and Miscellanies Metals Association), Institute of Classical Architecture & Art.     

 

 

Although his business now has its headquarters in Oakville, Ontario, Shyshkin is receiving more and more orders from the United States. He has completed projects in California, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida and Illinois as well as throughout Ontario.

 

Photographs of Shyshkin’s work and the articles about Oleg Shyshkin, his company and wrought iron works were published in many Professional Magazines, books and newspapers in the United States, Europe, and Canada.

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

Magazines:

 

  1. “The Anvils Ring”, /the Quarterly Publication of the Artist-Blacksmith’s Association of North America/  Vol. 26, Number 4, Spring 1999 /USA/
  2.  “Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metal Fabricator” /Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association/ Vol. 42, Number 4, July-August 2001 /USA/
  3. “Artist Blacksmith” /British Blacksmith’s Association magazine/ Number 106, back cover, Autumn 2003 /UK/
  4. “The Anvils Ring”, /the Quarterly Publication of the Artist-Blacksmith’s Association of North America/  Vol.32, Number 3, Spring 2004 /USA/
  5. “Artist Blacksmith” /British Blacksmith’s Association magazine/ Number 120, center double page, Spring 2007 /UK/
  6.  “Hamilton Interiors Magazine”, Fall 2007 /Canada/
  7. “Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metal Fabricator” /Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association/ May-June 2008 /USA/
  8. “Artist Blacksmith” /British Blacksmith’s Association magazine/ Number 127, Winter 2008-2009 /UK/
  9. “Prestige Homes” /The Luxury Living Magazine, “Toronto Star”/, June 2010 /Canada/

10.   “Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metal Fabricator” /Ornamental &                                                      Miscellaneous    Metals Association/ May-June 2011 /USA/

     11.    Hamilton Interiors Magazine”, (“Hands on”) Fall 2011, /Canada/

     12.    “Faux Effects World” /The International Magazine of Decorative                                                                                                                             

              Finishing and Fine Art/ Volume XIV 2012 /USA

   13.    “Artist Blacksmith” /British Blacksmith’s Association magazine

             Number 139, 2012 /UK/

14.   “The Anvils Ring”, /the Quarterly Publication of the Artist-Blacksmith’s    Association of North America/  Vol. 41, Number 4, Fall 2013/USA/

 

15. "Fabricator", NOMMA, July/August 2017

 

 

Books:

 

  1. “Perspectives on Design. Southwest”. /Published by Panache Partners LLC, Plano, TX, USA            /USA/

ISBN 13: 978-1-933415-83-3; ISBN 10:1-933415-83-5

  1. “Wrought Iron Design” /Edited by Alex Sanchez Vidiella, LOFT Publications, Spain; Published by Page One Publishing/ISBN: 978-981-245-801-8     /Spain/
  2. “Художественная ковка. Дизайн”. Издательство: Арт-Родник. 2010.

ISBN: 978-5-404-00215-7

 

 

Newspapers:

 

  1. “The Oakville Beaver”, April 9, 2004  /Canada/
  2. “Oakville Today”, April 19, 2007 /Canada/
  3. “The Oakville Beaver”, March 28, 2007 /Canada/
  4. “Toronto Star”, September 15, 2007 /Canada/
  5. ‘The Buffalo News” City & Region, May 14, 2015 Buffalo,  NY /USA/
  6. "Artvoice" issue v 14 n 29 (07/23/2015) Buffalo,NY /USA/
  7. "Buffalo Rising", May 10, 2017. Buffalo, NY /USA/
  8. "The Buffalo News", City & Region May 30, 2015. Buffalo, NY./USA/.

 

 

BROADCASTING:

  1.  “Ykрaïнa”, 1995

Cable 1. Kiev /Ukraine/

  1.  “Obyektyv”,  2007 #2, Spring3Cable
  2.  4 CFMT London, Ottawa, Toronto

    OMNI Television, ROGERS   /Canada/..

4. WIVB.com 4.Buffalo, N.Y. (WIVB).

 

 

                       MOVIES.

 

Some architectural compositions was shown in the movie " Isn't it Romantic", 2019

It was interior staircase, exterior balcony railings, exterior facade lamps.

 

 

As a sculptor and architect, Shyshkin has produced art works that highlight artistic individualism. His rare combination of architectural and artistic blacksmiths skills creates unusual results. Today the reputation of this studio is widely recognised. Masters such as Oleg Shyshkin bring prestige to the profession of artist-blacksmith. Once people have seen Oleg Shyshkin’s work, they look at metal in a new way.

 

“Iron is iron, but it belongs to us,” says Shyshkin. “We model from it, like from wax; because we love it. And iron can feel it.”