FINN MC MAHON

Finn Mc Mahon was born in 2002 in The Hague, has Irish nationality and lives near Cape Town in South Africa. He grew up in a household where his mother was a successful artist, spent much of his time in her studio and excelled in the subject at school.

After school he completed a three-year Grande Diplome Course at Silwood School of Cookery and worked as a professional chef for a few years before leaving the industry in 2023. Disillusioned, he adapted the pseudonym Dead in the water - a term also used in the kitchen when things have spun out of control under pressure - as his Instagram handle and moved to focus all his time and energy on being a full-time artist.

In 2024 he was selected as one of ten candidates for the WORLDART10 competition.

“An important part of my process is to refer to the world through a childlike lens. I find that being able to recall on ones childlike state allows for a bit of peace of mind and a clearer outlook. For me it is a form of escapism and a coping mechanism. My art is also very driven by music like punk and rock and also surf and skate culture, but in the end I don’t necessarily want the viewer to understand my art from my perspective. I really want them to go on their own journey and find their own meaning and story. It’s meant to provoke you but after that I want you to go on an adventure.”