“Italy has never been an abstract idea for me, it has always been lived. The light, the weight of the architecture, the people and unhurried pace of life - it is where my work found its truest voice."
The Practice
Italy is Teddy McDonald’s enduring subject — from ancient architecture to contemporary design.
Florence is his constant — a city of enduring beauty and proportion that continually resets the eye. What may appear complex, is reduced through considered gesture to essential line, form and colour.
While walking the streets of Florence with someone deeply important to him, the medium of oil pastel presented itself to Teddy, not as a choice, but as an inevitability. The tactile surface of oil pastel echoed the worn plaster, cobbled streets and accumulated patina of Florence itself, bringing unexpected warmth to both historic and contemporary subjects.
Patronage & Collections
Since 2015, Lapo Elkann has collected Teddy’s work and remains a supporter of the practice.
Works are held in private collections in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Selected Works & Recognition
A unique Fender Stratocaster created by Teddy was played extensively by Ed Sheeran throughout the X [Multiply] World Tour.
'Ferrari Heart' entered into private correspondence with Ferrari Design Director Flávio Manzoni and remained at Maranello for several years before being returned in accordance with Ferrari policy.
GQ magazine has profiled Teddy McDonald as “The Artist’s Artist” and “The Artist to Watch”.
The Practice in Person
For those wishing to experience Teddy’s way of seeing Italy more closely, Teddy occasionally hosts private art experiences in Florence.
Over one or two days, guests explore the cities through drawing, observation and conversation, rather than viewing Italy through a cellphone.