Maxwell Doig (born 1966) is a contemporary British artist best known for his haunting mixed media paintings. Born in Huddersfield, Doig studied at the Manchester School of Art and later the Slade School of Art in London. In 1984 he met David Blackburn, who became his friend and mentor.
Doig's work depicts lonely, often derelict buildings as well as captivating portraits of solitary figures. The figures are seen from unusual angles, absorbed in their own thoughts as they read, sleep or simply stare into the distance. Everything about his pictures is still - they invite the viewer to imagine what’s inside the subject, as one is always seeing Doig’s world from a distance, like an invisible spectator.
Doig had his first solo exhibition at the Hart Gallery, Nottingham; and was artist in residence at the Hochshule Der Kunst in Berlin from 1991 - 1992, where he began to experiment with mixed media on paper. Since 2002 Doig has been associated with the Albemarle Gallery, London, where he had a solo exhibition the same year. Through the Albemarle, the artist has exhibited in New York, Bologna, Milan and Jersey. He has had two solo museum shows at the Huddersfield Art Galley, which holds Doig’s work in its collection; as does the Jersey Arts Centre, the University of Manchester and the University of London.