Michael MacGarry (b. 1978) is a multi-award-winning visual artist and filmmaker based in Johannesburg. He holds a Master’s Degree in Fine Art from the University of the Witwatersrand, where he is currently a PhD candidate in the History of Art. MacGarry is a fellow of the Gordon Institute of Performing and Creative Arts (GIPCA) at the University of Cape Town and the recipient of the 2010 Standard Bank Young Artist Award.
His work explores the narrative potential of objects repurposed from his surroundings, transforming them from utility to aesthetic. This process forces the objects to exist on their own terms, stripped of their original function and given new meaning and responsibilities. Michael’s political and poetic oeuvre spans various media, including sculpture, photography, installation, and film, focusing on the tension between marginalised and centralised narratives in a postmodern and modern context.
MacGarry has exhibited internationally for over a decade, including at prestigious venues such as TATE Modern, Guggenheim Bilbao, Kiasma Museum, and Iziko South African National Gallery. He has published four monographs on his work. As a filmmaker, he has written and directed seven short films, featured at more than 30 international film festivals. He has received numerous accolades, including the El Ray Award for Excellence in Narrative Short Filmmaking (Barcelona Film Festival, 2015) and several jury awards from festivals in São Paulo, Austria, and Paris.
Text source: Everard Read Gallery
Image source: Artist's LinkedIn Profile
