15 Contemporary Artists Redefining Assemblage Artwork

Eric Nado’s assemblage sculptures begin with function and end in disruption. His works resemble firearms at a glance, yet closer inspection reveals they are constructed from vintage typewriter parts and industrial remnants, rendered consciously nonfunctional. By sourcing materials tied to writing and communication, Nado reframes weapons as objects shaped by language, control, and perception.

Up close, the surfaces of Nado’s sculptures reveal tightly packed layers of keys, spools, and metal fragments, each integrated into the overall structure. The transformation of once-used text-producing objects into sculptural form draws attention to repetition, labor, and the physical effort embedded within communication itself.

From a distance, Zac Freeman’s portraits resolve into unmistakably clear faces. Only as the viewer moves closer does the image begin to dissolve, revealing a dense field of individual components assembled with remarkable restraint and precision.

Built from found objects ranging from buttons and plastic fragments to electronics and everyday debris, each work is constructed piece by piece. Freeman’s practice transforms overlooked materials into highly resolved portraits that balance realism with accumulation, emphasizing how tone, shadow, and texture emerge through collective form.

Chris Hynes creates assemblage sculptures that merge classical animal forms with the inner workings of machines. In the work shown above, the exterior reads as a finely sculpted horse, while its interior reveals a dense framework of salvaged mechanical components and luxury automotive parts, including a Ferrari brake caliper embedded within the body.

Sourcing materials from scrapyards and dismantled machinery, Hynes builds his sculptures from the inside out. Exposed wiring, gears, and metal tubing are left by design, allowing viewers to see both anatomy and engineering at once. His practice transforms industrial remnants into contemporary sculptures that balance power, precision, and refined craftsmanship.

Lesley Hilling

Built from reclaimed wood, glass lenses, gears, and salvaged mechanical elements, Lesley Hilling’s assemblage works read like constructed environments rather than single images. Her wall-based sculptures rely on careful layering, creating depth, shadow, and shifting perspectives across the surface.

Rather than hiding structure, Hilling allows joints, supports, and components to remain visible. The works reward extended viewing, revealing fragments of imagery and material embedded within the construction, transforming architectural remnants and found objects into densely layered spatial compositions.

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Bordalo II

Bordalo II is a muralist and sculptor known for large-scale assemblage works built entirely from discarded materials sourced directly from urban environments. Using broken plastics, scrap metal, and industrial waste, he constructs monumental animal forms that exist between mural, sculpture, and public installation, often mounted directly onto buildings and architectural surfaces.

Rather than concealing origin, Bordalo II leaves fragmentation visible. Layers of refuse are stacked and assembled in ways that allow the materials to retain their identity while forming highly recognizable figures. His practice uses assemblage as a public intervention, transforming waste into structure while confronting issues of consumption, excess, and environmental impact.

Roger J. Carter 

Roger J. Carter first gained attention for portraits constructed from toy soldiers, using repetition and pattern to build highly detailed faces. Over time, his practice expanded to include chess pieces and, more recently, LEGO bricks, each shift reflecting an ongoing interest in how familiar objects can be reorganized into structured, image-driven works.

Alongside his portrait work, Carter also creates custom action figures, extending his fascination with play, identity, and construction into a realm. His work was featured in a documentary by The New Yorker and has been collected by figures such as Spike Lee. Based in Chicago, Carter continues to evolve his material approach while maintaining a consistent and disciplined visual focus.

Maurice Mbikayi

Maurice Mbikayi’s work confronts the systems that quietly shape everyday life through technology. Constructed from discarded computer components such as keyboard keys, circuit parts, and electronic remnants, his sculptures take on human forms that feel both familiar and unsettling. These materials are chosen not for texture alone, but for what they represent: access, labor, and the global movement of information.

The origins of these objects remain visible within the form, allowing function and symbolism to exist side by side. The result is work that reads as both portrait and artifact, inviting viewers to consider how identity and power are shaped by the tools we use and discard.

Gary Carlson

Gary Carlson creates sculptural works by bringing together weathered wood, metal hardware, and vintage tools into compact, wall-mounted compositions. His pieces feel intuitive and deliberate, shaped by the character and wear of the materials rather than a rigid plan.

Worn surfaces, rusted edges, and traces of prior use remain visible throughout his work, giving each piece a sense of lived experience. Carlson’s practice values balance and restraint, allowing structure and intuition to coexist in forms that feel tactile, personal, and thoughtfully resolved.

Meredith Maher

Meredith Maher’s puzzle-based works originated from a vivid dream that she later committed to realizing in physical form. What began as an imagined image became a focused practice, rooted in the idea that a familiar object could be pushed far beyond its intended use through dedication and control.

Her compositions are built from assortments of vintage puzzle pieces, carefully collected and organized by color and tonal range. Each puzzle piece is placed individually, a time-consuming process that reinforces the value of the finished work. By leaving the structure visible, Maher allows the labor and decision-making behind each piece to remain present, turning repetition and restraint into defining elements of the image.

Kellie Gillespie

Kellie Gillespie’s practice centers on immersive installations composed of collected prescription bottles, suspended into flowing forms that occupy the space above and around the viewer. The material choice is considered, directly tied to conversations surrounding mental health, medication, and the often unseen realities carried by everyday objects.

Each bottle represents an individual contribution, but the work is experienced as a whole. By gathering and transforming these materials into a single, expansive structure, Gillespie’s installations reflect shared vulnerability and collective support, speaking quietly about connection, survival, and belonging.

Nemo Gould

Nemo Gould is known for kinetic, found-object sculptures that feel part machine, part character. Working from a deep inventory of obsolete tools, gadgets, and industrial parts, he builds interactive contraptions where movement and mechanics are central to the experience, not secondary to it.

Based in Oakland, Gould often refers to himself as the “Chairman of the Hoard,” a nod to his long-standing habit of collecting and cataloging discarded technology. His work balances engineering and play, drawing on sci-fi references and analog systems while keeping the process visible. Each sculpture carries a sense of curiosity and invention, inviting viewers to consider how old technologies can be reimagined through careful construction and motion.

Debbie Smyth

Debbie Smyth's work translates photographic imagery into intricate, dimensional surfaces built from thread and pins. Her creations sit between drawing and sculpture, where lines are formed through tension rather than traditional mark-making.

By stretching thread across fixed points, Smyth builds images through accumulation and precision. The finished works feel resolved and composed, revealing a strong sense of structure while maintaining a lightness that comes from the materials themselves.

 Virginia Fleck

Virginia Fleck’s hand-built works are constructed from aluminum soda can pull tabs, stitched together into dense, shimmering surfaces. What begins as a discarded material is reborn through the lens of the artist, taking on form and structure far removed from its original purpose.

Often referencing natural symmetry such as wings or anatomical structures, her compositions invite closer attention. The physicality of the material remains present throughout the work, while the overall form holds together with clarity and coherence, asserting itself through surface and structure rather than illusion.

The Continuing Evolution of Assemblage

Assemblage continues to evolve as artists reconsider how materials carry meaning through process, labor, and transformation. Across these artists, the medium resists a single aesthetic, instead expanding through purpose and material choice. What connects these artists is not uniformity of style, but a shared commitment to rethinking how familiar objects can be reorganized and given renewed relevance in contemporary art. 

View original assemblage works by contemporary artists featured in this article.