Charlie Mackesy was born in the midst of a snowy winter in Northumberland in the year 1962 and spent his childhood there. At the tender age of seven, he was sent off to boarding school. Now, Mackesy resides in both Suffolk and London, where he takes care of his mother and sister.
Charlie Mackesy has established himself as a prominent cartoonist for The Spectator and an illustrator for Oxford University Press. He has also collaborated with notable figures such as Richard Curtis for Comic Relief and Nelson Mandela on a lithograph project titled 'The Unity Series.' Mackesy's artwork has garnered the attention of several high-profile collectors, including Elizabeth Gilbert, Whoopi Goldberg, Roger Waters, and Richard Curtis, among others.
In addition to his artistic pursuits, Mackesy has lived and painted in various locations worldwide, including South Africa, Southern Africa, and New Orleans. He is also actively involved in co-running a social enterprise in Zambia's copperbelt region called Mama Buci. This enterprise empowers low and no-income families to become beekeepers and earn a sustainable income. Although Mackesy resides in London, he frequently spends time in Suffolk.