Calder MacKay graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art. He now studies at the Royal College of Art and has been selected for many exhibitions and awards, including the Boom Graduates Publication Award 2024, which will see his dissertation " 'No man’s land’ - 21st Century Masculinity in Scotland” published as an independent piece of research. Winning the RSA David Michie Travel Award in 2024 enabled Calder to travel to Budapest for several months to research how the older male generation of the city find a sense of community.
The topic of masculinity and men in a general sense is one of the main overarching themes of Calder’s practice in recent years. His last body of work examined relationships between men and women and how societal constructs of masculinity can influence how we view such relationships. By interweaving family histories, he attempts to deconstruct his own experiences of generational masculinities.
Calder now seeks to explore themes of masculinity, grief and familial roles, in an attempt to understand the ways in which masculine expectations can shape how we grieve and where such constructs are birthed, how we find hope and the people we carry on for. He aims to capture the joy his grandparents shared over the years, while reflecting on the strength and vulnerability that emerges in the wake of loss. His current studio, set up in their once vibrant but now quiet home, provides a deeply personal space to create this work. Being surrounded by their memories brings a sense of comfort as he documents the story of their lives together, and all that came of it.
