Mackenzie Thorpe was born in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, the first of seven children, with his father working as a labourer and his mother as a nurse. Struggling with dyslexia throughout his childhood, he found confidence in painting and drawing, seeking out whatever materials he could find, drawing on cigarette packs with stubs of pencils or using eye shadow and lipstick from his mother's makeup bag.
He left school without formal qualifications, taking on unskilled jobs while continuing to paint, until eventually his enthusiasm and the sheer volume of work he presented won him a place at Middlesbrough College of Art, and subsequently the Byam Shaw School of Art in London. After leaving art school he spent several years working with inner-city children in London before moving back to North Yorkshire to set up a studio and gallery.
His work is rooted in authenticity, embodied in emotional expression, and always carries a message of hope, with love and hope as key symbols whether depicted through the nostalgic pride of his industrial heritage or dreamlike skyscapes and landscapes. He has achieved global success in galleries throughout the UK, America, Japan and Australia, with collectors including JK Rowling, Queen Elizabeth II and Tom Hardy.
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