Michael Landy trained at Loughborough College of Art (1981-3) and Goldsmiths College, London (1985-8). In his final year he contributed to Freeze and in 1999 his work was included in Sensation at the Royal Academy of Arts: an exhibition of Young British Artists from the Saatchi Collection.

Landy has used monumental installations/performances to explore political and social issues, such as the nature of consumerism, the commodification of art and the value placed on human beings in the corporate world. He has also been involved in numerous projects demonstrating his fascination with the constructive potential of destruction, most recently in his 2018 exhibition Scaled Down, in which his earlier works were compressed into small cubic sculptures. Another strand of Landy’s practice is his drawings: in contrast to his often violent sculptural work, Landy’s draughtsmanship is meticulous and intimate.He was appointed Eranda Professor of Drawing at the Royal Academy Schools in 2014.

In recent years, Landy’s work has also been presented in the solo exhibition Saints Alive at the National Gallery, London, resulting from his time as artist in residence there (2013).

Landy was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to arts.