Call it fate, destiny, kismet.

It’s not often I fall in love at first sight, but it happened when I stumbled upon a Granville Island art gallery last week in Vancouver, BC. One look and he literally took my breath away. Seated casually on a chair, head turned away from me - I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Mind you, this was no ordinary guy.

Made of stainless steel recycled machine parts, the object of my affection is the creation of Cory Fuhr, a self-taught Canadian artist who is developing a cult following with his provocative sculptures.

“The Dancer”

“Evolution”

And my personal favorite: an author who “Couldn’t Sleep”.

All are breathtakingly beautiful expressions that explore the boundaries between humanity and technology. Working out of a converted barn originally built by his grandfather, Fuhr’s sculptures may have a modest beginning but many have found their way into prestigious art collections as well as films and television.

Walking around the pint-sized gallery, it’s obvious about the only thing more visually arresting than the sculptures is the artist himself. With his rock-star good looks Cory Fuhr looks more like a GQ cover model than a Canadian farm boy. And to top it off, he talk like neither:

“Anthropomorphic transmogrifications have fascinated and inspired my work through my life. The conflict of engineered forms and untouched landscapes challenges humanity to reconcile our organic form with the monstrous artifice of our creations. Through my work I explore a possibility of acceptance or reconciliation.”

Make that two things that take my breath away.