Mackenzie Thorpe Net Worth, Income, Salary, Earnings, Biography

Mackenzie Thorpe (born 1956 in Middlesbrough, Yorkshire) is a British artist who works in a variety of mediums. Since he was born as the first of seven children into an industrial town in the aftermath of World War II, Thorpe began working in shipyards as a result of his family’s background. One of his friends, on the other hand, urged him to try his hand at art school in order to continue pursuing his first passion, sketching and painting. To pursue art, Thorpe applied in 1977 to the local Cleveland College of Art and Design, where he studied under Tom Wall for two years before moving on to the Byam Shaw College of Art in London and earning a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. In 1982, Thorpe received his bachelor’s degree and stayed in the city to work with underprivileged youngsters. Thorpe, however, was driven by a desire to create a better environment for his children to grow up in and moved back to the North East with his family in 1989. There, he established Arthaus, a gallery in Richmond, North Yorkshire, which has remained in operation until the present day. In his abstract representations of animals and children, he adheres to the concept of “Art from the heart” – blending compassion with fervency – which is reflected in his works. ‘Square sheep’ and duffle coat lads are among the more accessible images in his body of work, which also includes more difficult work focused on solitude and man’s struggle. 

Middlesbrough was the setting for most of his youth, which is shown extensively in his art. Thorpe designed the official Christmas cards for William Hague, a Conservative politician who rose to become the party’s leader in the 1990s. Other honours have included the ‘Best-Selling Published Artist’ award from the Art & Framing Industry Awards, which were presented by the Fine Art Trade Guild in 2000. However, the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (mima), which opened its doors in 2007 and has declined to exhibit his work on a number of occasions. He currently has a permanent installation at James Cook Hospital as well as a travelling show. He is now exhibiting at Artsbank Saltburn in a show that includes several pieces from his own collection. Thorpe also has an honorary Master of Arts degree, which he received in 2000 from Teesside University, which is located in his birthplace. As a result, in 2005, the Mackenzie Thorpe Foundation was established to further Thorpe’s and Arthaus’ desire to promote “good causes.” Thorpe created an exhibition of outdoor gigantic sculptures in Kansas City, Missouri, in October 2006, and he plans to bring similar ideas to other countries, including New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom. It was at Tennant’s auction house in Leyburn on 4 March 2009 that he established an auction record of £9,000 for his 91 cm square oil on canvas painting “The Family (Kiss),” which sold for £9,000.

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