Mackenzie Thorpe

A global art phenomenon, Mackenzie has reached out across every conceivable boundary by drawing on the universal themes that unite us all; love and isolation, life and death, joy and sorrow, despair and hope.

His journey from dyslexic child ostracised by his peers to international artist exhibiting worldwide has been both extraordinary and inspirational. Born into a working class family in Middlesbrough, struggling through school with an undiagnosed learning difficulty and doing manual work in the local shipyard by the age of 15, Mackenzie defied the expectations of society with a combination of pioneering style and unbridled passion.

After seeing a film about Van Gogh he began to wonder whether he could transform his dream of being an artist into a reality.

His portfolio of work won him a place at art college and he went on to complete a fine art degree in London. Married and with a family to support, he taught art for a while, then moved to Richmond, North Yorkshire where he and his wife opened an art materials shop.