b. 1973, Tokyo, Japan
1997-00 Royal Academy Schools, London
1992-95 Central Saint Martins, London, BA
Peter McDonald’s paintings examine intricate aspects of human behaviour, gradually compiling an endless encyclopedia of images and scenarios. McDonald’s use of intense colour and universal subject matter describes a realm which balances lucid realism with vivid distortions, filled with references to modern life such as iPhones, queueing, fashion shows and cafés. His pictures investigate pictorial space by playfully exploring perspective and form.
In 2017, McDonald was awarded a fellowship at the British School at Rome. Recent exhibitions include Roppongi Art Night, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, (2016); Making and Unmaking, Camden Arts Centre, London, (2016); Winnebago, Carpets, Onsen, Potter, Daiwa Foundation, London, (2013) and Visitor, a year-long residency at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Japan, (2011-12). In 2008 he was awarded the John Moores Painting Prize and in 2009, London Underground commissioned McDonald to produce Art for Everybody, a large-scale billboard installation at Southwark station.