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Tammy Mackay's work is often conceptualised as a series. All are a personal exploration of themes, often a journey of feelings linked to an object, moment or past memory. Images have become both layered in process and layered in meaning. Animals and birds have become central to the themes and convey a subtle symbolism within their depiction.
Mackay grew up on a farm in the Eastern Cape of South Africa and studied at Rhodes University, graduating with an Honours Degree in Fine Arts, majoring in Printmaking. Although she has used etching and monoprinting as her primary mediums, she has always experimented with new techniques. More recently she has used photopolymer plates and drypoint. These techniques are often combined with hand drawn or hand coloured chine collé. Exploring and developing new techniques opens up new possibilities which she feels is essential to her development as an artist and printmaker. Although primarily a printmaker, other ideas in drawing, collage and assemblage form part of her creative process.
Although she now lives in the UK, her work still reflects the imagery of where she grew up. She exhibits her work at fairs and galleries in the UK and abroad and has work included in collections in South Africa and the UK.