David Mach studied at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee from 1974 to 1979 and subsequently at the Royal College of Art, London from 1979 to 1982. He became a part-time lecturer in the Sculpture School, Kingston University from 1982 to 1993 and he was a lecturer at the Contemporary Art Summer School, Kitakyushu, Japan from 1987 to 1991. He has been Visiting Professor at the Sculpture Department, Edinburgh College of Art since 1999 and in 2000 was appointed Professor of Sculpture at the Royal Academy Schools, London.
Mach’s first solo exhibition was held at the Lisson Gallery, London in 1982. His international reputation was quickly established with solo and group exhibitions held in the UK and in countries throughout the world. Much of his work is commission-based, including Collage Portrait of Glasgow (commissioned by the Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow), which was unveiled in March 2002 as part of a major solo exhibition of his work at the Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow.
In 1988 Mach was nominated for the Turner Prize at the Tate Gallery, London, and in 1992 he won the Lord Provost’s Prize in Glasgow. He was elected Royal Academician in 1998 and lives and works in London.
Born: 1956 in Methil Fife Scotland
Nationality: British
Elected RA: 21 May 1998
Professor of Sculpture: 2000 - 2007
Gender: Male
Preferred media: Sculpture
Made exclusively for the Friends of the Royal Academy, Varnishing Day: A Moment in Time features the work of 100 Royal Academicians.
Conceived by Hughie O’Donoghue RA and David Mach RA, with the assistance of Ian Ritchie RA, this beautiful portfolio includes work from some of the heavyweights in British art – Tracey Emin RA, Grayson Perry RA, Yinka Shonibare RA and Farshid Moussavi RA.
The Portfolio is available exclusively to Friends and the only way to access it is by joining as a Friend of the RA.
2011 City Art Centre, Edinburgh
2010 The Opera Gallery, London
2007 Jill George Gallery, London
2006 Jill George Gallery, London
2004 Jill George Gallery, London
2002 Jill George Gallery, London
2001 Touring exhibition of original artwork of Portrait of Britain to 17 venues
Galerie IUFM Confluence(s), Lyons
Hugo Boss, Rome
2000 Jill George Gallery, London
Galerie Jerome de Noirmont, Paris
Installation, Kilkenny Arts Festival
Aberdeen Art Gallery
Dundee Art Gallery
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Kirkcaldy Art Gallery
Mercer Gallery, Harrogate
Ferens Art Gallery, Kingston upon Hull
Tate Gallery, Liverpool
Tate Britain, London
National Portrait Gallery, London
The British Council, London
Manchester City Art Gallery
Wolverhampton Art Gallery
Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego
Museé Leon Dierx, Reunion Island
Kawasaki City Museum, Tokyo
FRAC du Rhones-Alpes, France
Museé d’art contemporain, Dole, France
Museé d’art contemporain, Antwerp
2000 ‘Good Guys, Bad Guys’, Vicar Lane, Chesterfield, (commissioned by Chesterfield Council)
‘Scramble’, Vicar Lane, Chesterfield, (second sculpture commissioned by Chesterfield Council)
1999 ‘Big Heids’, three sculptures sited by the M8 motorway in North Lanark, Scotland, (commissioned by North Lanark Council)
‘A National Portrait’, a 225’ x 10’ collage of Britain, (commissioned by the NMEC for the Self Portrait Zone of the Millennium Dome at Greenwich)
1998 Installed gargoyle sculpture (commissioned by the town of Nicosia, Cyprus)
1997 ‘It Takes Two’, Circular Quay, Sydney, Australia, for Sydney International Arts Festival
‘Train’, Britain’s largest contemporary public sculpture, in Darlington, (commissioned by Darlington Council, Morrison Supermarkets and Northern Arts)
1996 Installed ‘Garden Urn’, Hat Hill Sculpture Park, Goodwood
‘Urn’ (commissioned by McMaster Museum of Art, Hamilton, Ontario, for its collection)
Installed ‘Some of the People’, Partick Underground Station, Glasgow, (commissioned to celebrate the Centenary of the Underground