Mac Collins

Mac Collins (born Nottingham, 1995) is a British artist and designer. Early life and education Collins grew up in Nottingham, the grandson of Jamaican immigrants to the United Kingdom who were part of the Windrush generation. His grandmother emigrated to England and worked in a factory, and his other grandparents “changed jobs so much that [he] couldn’t say what they did.” His father worked as a security guard. He is the youngest of seven children. He has spoken about how his family's multi-racial heritage influenced his upbringing, education, and work, stating that he is "both Black and white. And that’s a precious thing: not having to choose." As a teenager he was a graffiti artist. He attended Northumbria University, where he researched the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, and Afrofuturism, graduating in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in 3D design. As a student, he was also influenced by the work of Hella Jongerius, Enzo Mari, and Sergio Rodrigues. While still a student, he designed the Iklwa Chair for which he received the 2018 Cræftiga prize. This design was later produced by the British furniture maker Benchmark.