Born in Dundee in 1967 and came to sculpture by a winding path. For twelve miserable years I worked as a labourer in a printworks, before finally stepping away to pursue the work that had always pulled at me. My early practice was largely self-taught, but I was fortunate to share a studio for many years with my friend and mentor, Tony Morrow. That time felt like an apprenticeship: I arrived with skills in modelling, but Tony opened my eyes to the expressive power of clay.

Influenced by the fluid, dynamic styles of artists such as Morrow, William Lamb, James Pittendrigh MacGillivray, and Benno Schotz, I abandoned tight, controlled techniques in favour of a looser, more intuitive approach to portraiture. I have always been drawn to people — their individuality, their stories — and portraiture allows me to explore both likeness and presence.

My commissions have included academics (including Princeton Professor Emeritus Lionel Goodman), poets (Douglas Dunne and Don Paterson) and private sitters, but I also create work that moves beyond portraiture. A recent series reimagines invited sitters as saints, using symbolic abstraction to create what I think of as a kind of “urban hagiography.” These works have been warmly received and exhibited in venues such as the Royal Scottish Academy, The Society of Scottish Artists, The Scottish Portrait Awards and the National Portrait Gallery. Alongside these projects, I produce limited-edition pieces depicting cultural icons from literature, music, sport, and politics.

Today I continue to live and work in Dundee with my wife and our dog. Music is also a large part of my life and practice, feeding into the rhythm and energy I try to bring into sculpture.