Martyn Dempsey hails from Manchester, however after a visit to Newquay at the age of 16 when he quickly became a self-confessed 'surfing addict', he soon realised that Cornwall was where he needed to be. His great love of the sea spurred on his passion for art and inspired him to start painting on canvas - a new medium for him at the time - and sculpting. Dempsey started to gain attention for his early works and began exhibiting at numerous galleries in Cornwall and across Europe, but his goal was to be able to display his work in the New Craftsmen Gallery in St Ives, alongside many of the artists who inspired him. Eventually, his persistence in asking Mary Redgrave for a meeting paid off and she agreed to take a look at his work, which she immediately noted as having huge potential.

 

From that point, Martyn's success in the art world sky-rocketed as he started exhibiting his works in prestigious galleries all over the world such as the famous Manyung Gallery in Australia and Blackhall Studios in Shoreditch, London. He gained acclaim amongst art lovers and built up an impressive list of private collectors, including the The Rothchilds, Lady Spencer, Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen, Vanessa Redgrave, HSBC Bank and Morgan Stanley.

 

Now as one of our resident artists at St Mawes Gallery, we are thrilled to be able to offer a fantastic selection of Dempsey's much-loved crab sculptures, which we think encapsulate the essence of the Cornish Coastline beautifully.