He was so drawn to the art that he followed a career that has led to his work being displayed in the Metro Arts 2024 program.
“Art wove its way completely into my life and I can’t imagine my life without it,” he said.
“I had a working-class upbringing and didn’t understand arts was a possibility[as a career] at the time and I think a lot of people growing up in Ipswich were like that too.
“Something really grabbed me that day.”
Mac went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Art (Painting) from the Queensland College of Art and Design.
He has been a Brisbane Portrait Prize finalist,took part in SWELL Sculpture Festival and has been shortlisted for four Association of Illustrators World Illustration Awards.
Mac is exhibiting inAntecedent,a group show with artists Jenna Lee and Miranda Hine for the Metro Arts 2024 program that launched this week.
Antecedent explores spaces and absences in forms of visual storytelling and record keeping.
“Miranda has done these beautiful paintings after going to historic houses in the UK and painting these chairs she finds,while investigating the context displayed in that setting,” he said.
“Jenna deals with the archive and language and her key art piece is this big,grass tree made of text.
“I’m leaning more on oral storytelling,looking at European ghost stories and how that’s approached in an Australian contemporary way and looking at European literature.
“It’s such a great opportunity that Metro Arts provides artists from all levels,especially someone like myself being new and in the early stage of my career.”
The Metro Arts 2024 program,which introduces a fresh wave of artists and endeavours,features 13 art exhibitions,five mainstage productions and a new experimental dance festival,Dance 24.
The program also features a spine-tingling interactive theatre experience for children,Scaredy House, by award-winning collective Counterpilot,and an international First Nations Exchange.
Executive director Genevieve Trace said Metro Arts was a launchpad for emerging talent in Australia,supporting artists to experiment with new ideas and forms while propelling them towards further career opportunities.
“Our 2024 program stands as a monumental celebration of the current diversity and talent within Australian contemporary art,” she said.
Antecedent is showing at Metro Arts Gallery One until March 9..