Arundel Framing Workshop and Gallery
Unit 2, The Old Printing House, Tarrant Street, Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9JH Tel: 01903 884220
The eldest of seven children, Mackenzie grew up in the industrial town of Middlesbrough, in the north of England. He remembers a rich colourful childhood, filled with both love and struggle, when even as a young child, despite an absence of traditional drawing materials, he felt compelled to draw and create. It is fair to say, his early experiences inform his work to this day.
Despite struggling at school with undiagnosed dyslexia, his creativity shone through; after a spell working in manual jobs, Mackenzie’s persistence and dedication to art won him a place at the then, Middlesbrough College of Art and subsequently the Byam Shaw School of Art in London, where he honed and developed his natural talent.
His path to success was far from simple, eventually however, he took a leap of faith and moved from London with his young family to a market town (Richmond) in the north of England, where he opened a shop selling his work.
His art started gaining recognition in the 1990’s and he now possesses over thirty years’ experience as a professional artist. Mackenzie exhibit s in galleries across the globe but in particular America, Japan, Australia and of course the UK, where his work is held in both private and public collections.
Alongside painting, Mackenzie has always experimented with clay and sculpture but in later years he has focussed more than ever on sculpture creation, enjoying seeing his work come alive, his hands in the clay, 2D into 3D and all the artistic challenges this brings.
His work is authentically his own, embracing the full spectrum of human emotions... fragility contrasting with strength and as in life, love, passion, and joy sit alongside sadness, isolation, and struggle. His work is created with emotion, and it is this which facilitates ease of connection to the viewer.
Married with two grown up children and four grandchildren, after a spell living in the USA Mackenzie now lives in Brighton, where he works from his own studio.
Mackenzie’s work sit s in collections around the world, he even has some pieces in the royal collection and was honoured to be commissioned to create a piece for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.