Michael Landy

b. 1963

British artist Michael Landy studied at Loughborough College of Art (1981-3) and Goldsmiths College, London (1985-8). In his final year he contributed to ‘Freeze’ and in 1999 his work was included in ‘Sensation’ at the Royal Academy of Arts: an exhibition of Young British Artists from the Saatchi Collection. He currently lives and works in London.

Landy creates large-scale installations and performances that confront political and social themes, including consumerism, the commercialization of art, and the ways human life is valued within corporate culture. His work often reflects a deep interest in the paradoxical idea of destruction as a form of creation, a concept he has explored through a wide range of projects.

Landy was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to arts. His works are held in public institutions internationally, including the Tate Collection, London; the Arts Council, England; the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; and the Centre Pompidou, Paris.