Shelby is a sculptor who uses all types of media to create works that stretch the use of/and potential of materials. His work has a fantastical and humorous quality that influences his reuse of many materials. His most recent series; P.A.R.T.S. involves both fabricated and found objects combined to create new ideas of function and functionality.
Trained as an architect, Shelby also began working in ceramics at the University of Kansas in 1998, where he received a double degree in architecture and design ceramics in 2000. Shelby then went on to apprentice with noted ceramic sculptor Jun Kaneko at his studio in Omaha, Nebraska for two years.
Shelby received an MFA from San Jose State University in CA in 2006. Before Moving to the Big Island, Shelby was the Ceramics and Glass Technician for SJSU’s Art Deptartment, as well as a part-time instructor in the South Bay Area. His works are in many private/public collections, across the U.S., including Fortis Corp. San Francisco, Questus, and 1st Act San Jose.