Ewen Coates completed a Bachelor of Art (Fine Art), Deakin University and Post-Graduate Diploma (Fine Art) at the VCA, Melbourne. He began working as a Foundry Technician in 1993 at Artworks in Bronze. In 1998 he co-founded Coates and Wood Sculpture Foundry casting works for some of Australia's leading artists.  He now owns and manages Coates Studio Foundry situated in West Heidelberg, offering high quality foundry services.