Rod McIntosh Artist Biography
Early Life & Education: Foundations of a Contemporary Mark-Making Artist
Rod McIntosh was born in 1968 in Singapore, where formative childhood impressions of Chinese gardens, mythic statuary and calligraphic script etched themselves into his visual memory. He relocated to the UK and studied figurative sculpture, graduating with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art (Sculpture) from Sheffield Hallam / Sheffield City Polytechnic in 1992. During and after his academic years, McIntosh balanced his studio practice with roles in arts management and academia.
Artistic Practice & Philosophy: Meditative Marks, Material Integrity
At the heart of McIntosh’s work lies a mark-making discipline inspired by Zen, repetition, mindfulness, and the reverence of material provenance. His process involves rehearsed brush gestures, breath, stance and embodied action, producing work that functions as a physical meditation and a visual record of the present moment. He favours a muted palette and a minimal aesthetic, often working in Indian ink, charcoal, rice papers, gesso overlays and copper leaf accents, insisting on the authenticity of each mark’s integration into the substrate.
Exhibitions, Collections & Professional Trajectory
McIntosh maintains a studio in rural Kent, in a converted barn set within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, while also operating between Kent and London as an exhibiting artist. He has participated in international art fairs and exhibitions such as SCOPE Miami (2019), The London Art Fair, Affordable Art Fair New York, The Other Art Fair, and AAF Brussels over multiple years. His works are held in private, corporate, and hospitality collections globally. After a major health challenge in 2019 and during the COVID pandemic, McIntosh paused large-scale exhibitions to recommit to intimate commissions and more introspective practice.
Vision & Connection: Art as Invitation to Pause
Rod McIntosh sees each artwork as an invitation for both creator and viewer to pause, to inhabit the breath and the interval between gesture and stillness. He seeks to offer in his pieces a gentle counterpoint to noise and distraction, making works that are quiet, reflective, optimistic, and affirming. McIntosh is committed to deep connection — whether through one-to-one commissions, gallery dialogues or exhibitions — aiming to forge resonance between art, time, material and the human presence.