Theo Mackaay

Theo Mackaay was born in 1950 in Utrecht. After completing his stonemasonry training in Utrecht, he studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy from 1971 to 1976 and at the Rijksakademie of Fine Arts in Amsterdam from 1976 to 1978.

Mackaay works with recognizable forms: women, men, and animals. However, all of them carry a reference to their primal form—archetypal motifs such as warriors, women, horses, archers, and lovers, created with his distinctive signature. The result is always surprising and unmistakably Mackaay.

A well-known example of his expressive style is the Golden Calf, the grand prize of the Netherlands Film Festival, which Mackaay designed in 1980 at the request of filmmaker Jos Stelling, the festival’s founder. Since then, he has significantly evolved, but have the fundamental characteristics remained?

The Golden Calf, the grand prize of the Netherlands Film Festival, was designed in 1980 by Utrecht-based visual artist Theo Mackaay at the request of filmmaker Jos Stelling, the festival’s founder. Since 1981, this prize has been awarded annually during the festival to Dutch filmmakers, screenwriters, producers, actors, and actresses. The sculpture stands 33 cm tall and is cast in bronze.

A sculptor with a soul.

Theo Mackaay is now over 60 years old, and those who know him well understand that he has lived through three lifetimes. With unrelenting energy, he has filled his life so far. High peaks and deep valleys—this seems to be inseparable from the life of an artist. But even an artist is entitled to some measure of peace, especially as he grows older. It appears that Mackaay has found his peace.

It has been a battle between two hemispheres of the brain, between the wild artist and the now calm, contemplative sculptor. The latter has won! Not only has Mackaay the man changed, but so has his work. His large, bold, expressionist bronze and natural stone sculptures, where women and animals were his favorite subjects, have transformed into touching, delicate bronze sculptures.

In Mackaay’s earlier works, the influence of great masters from the past was clearly visible—think of Marino Marini and Ossip Zadkine. Now, it seems that he has been able to let go of those past influences. At this stage of his life, after all the highs, lows, and wanderings, he has found his own visual language. His journeys took him through France, Italy, and China, ultimately leading him to Malaga, Spain, where he now resides.

All sculptures are cast in a limited edition. Large sculptures are cast in editions of three, medium-sized in editions of six, and the smallest in editions of eight. After casting, the molds are destroyed, ensuring the buyer an absolute guarantee of a limited edition.