CART (0) ITEMS
Designer Profile
About Me
Growing up in Los Gatos, California for Steven Shaver playing tennis was more common that playing with tools. Tool time would come later. Steven went on to study at San Diego State University and graduated in 1991 with a B.A. degree in International Business and completed some design courses from the acclaimed Industrial Design program at San Jose State University.
He never imagined that the career direction he would ultimately choose would take him down an artistic path of creating functional art, furnishings and awards made from car parts and other recycled industrial artifacts.
A broken car visor would make history…In 1996 a random trip to a Pick-n-Pull salvage yard in San Jose to replace his car's broken sun visor (he should have saved it!) would put Steven on course for what would become his creative passion and business. At the salvage yard he saw endless rows of abandoned old cars from the past and marvelous looking parts half buried in the dirt. The parts resembled something from the “stars” not just the cars, with their "celestial" forms and intricate engineering. This was the "ah-ha" moment! Although he knew very little about their automotive functions, he could envision their “artistic” purposes. Steven wanted to give new life to these beautiful treasures that would otherwise rust in the junkyard or be melted for scrap, so he took a trunk load of parts home and began creating. He furnished his bachelor pad with his “found art” and started his business by learning about the world of cars, showing his creations at car shows, art festivals and a TV auction. They were a big hit and he knew he was on to something! Steven continued working in property management for several more years while his new business began to slowly grow (with the advent of the Internet) and he finally took the leap to quit his 9-5 job!
Today Steven lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife Ana and his
creations have been featured in major newspapers and magazines,
shown on television and made for some of the best companies and
CEO’s including Mercedes Benz USA, GM, Volkswagen, Honda, Red
Bull Racing, IBM, Wachovia Securities, Texas Instruments
and the San Francisco Environmental Dept.; and presented at
upscale events to celebrities such as Hugh Hefner, Jay Leno,
Nicolas Cage, Dwayne Wade, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris and Cedric the
Entertainer.
Steven plans to keep dreaming up big
ideas for transforming car parts and other
industrial parts and materials from our everyday
places into works of art. Above all, Steven finds great reward and
motivation in knowing that his art will give
lasting joy
to those who receive it.
Who or what inspires you?
Moto Art, Alexander Calder, George Nelson, Phillipe Starck and other industrial designers and sculptors.
What is your favorite music?
U2, Moby, Bob Marley, Green Day, Linkin Park, Radio Head and many more types of music and groups.
What is your favorite food?
Pretty much any kind of Mexican food and Italian food.
