Growing up on a small farm, Alastair Mackie was confronted by the cyclical nature of life and became acutely aware of birth, death, regeneration and the conflicts that occur within nature and mankind. Mackie looks to represent this idea with his rodent forms with what he terms as ‘the manipulation of craft and concept.’ His practise incorporates the bringing together of disparate elements and meticulously constructed works that suggest an obsession with craftsmanship. The result is both disturbing and fascinating. From a distance his works appear to be beautiful objects, the result of painstaking construction processes, however on closer inspection the true nature of the materials is revealed highlighting the contradiction between nature’s beauty and the harshness of the daily struggle to survive in the wild. Alastair Mackie studied at Camberwell College of Art, London (1997), followed by the City and Guilds London School (2000). He won the Madame Tussaud’s award in 1999, followed by the City and Guild’s Sculpture Prize in 2000. He has exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, as well as across the UK and internationally. His work is held in the collections of Charles Saatchi, the Wellcome Trust and Alexander McQueen.