John Macfarlane was born in Scotland and studied at the Glasgow School of Art. He was awarded The Leverhulme Prize on graduation. He received an Arts Council of Great Britain Trainee Designer award and spent some time as Resident Designer at the Young Vic Theatre in London.For the first fifteen years of his career he worked mainly in dance with many of the major international companies. Latterly John has focussed on opera where he designs both sets and costumes. In addition to his opera and dance work, John Macfarlane exhibits regularly as a painter and print maker in the UK, US and Europe. John is based in Cardiff.