Rich McCoy is a mythopoetic sculptor, arts broadcaster, and former digital creative director whose work explores initiation, memory, and the symbolic cost of modern life. Born in the UK and raised in Botswana and South Africa, McCoy’s early experience of cultural displacement, animist worldview, and ancestral Celtic heritage (Cornish, Irish, Welsh, and Scottish) formed the bedrock of a lifelong investigation into the psychic and spiritual thresholds that shape identity.
Originally trained in fine art (BFA Sculpture, University of Gloucestershire), McCoy’s creative path diverged into the emerging digital world of the late 1990s and early 2000s. With a postgraduate degree in business management, he became a pioneer in digital product design and UX, contributing to the early development of accessible online banking and news media, and eventually leading major projects at global agencies and at New Zealand’s Trade Me. Despite a successful commercial career, McCoy maintained a parallel practice in painting, print, sculpture, and experimental digital interfaces quietly weaving a thread through the unconscious that would re-emerge as his true vocation.
That thread is Son of Fire, a body of contemporary reliquaries and symbolic sculptural works created after half stepping away from the digital product industry. Now living off-grid in rural Aotearoa, McCoy creates deeply personal, psychologically resonant assemblages using materials such as bone, ash, tar, gold, discarded industrial remnants, and found objects. These works draw heavily on Jungian archetypes, myth, alchemy, and personal initiation, particularly a powerful early-life encounter with Cernunnos, which shaped his mythic worldview.
Older works in this portfolio remain available, offering collectors an entry point into McCoy’s evolving symbolic language. These earlier pieces, though more formally diverse, carry the same undercurrents of spiritual inquiry and psychic unrest that define the current sculptural work, and offer rare opportunities to invest in a practice that has grown from commercial fluency into symbolic fluency.
In addition to his studio work, McCoy is the creator and host of HeARTh Tales, a radio show and podcast dedicated to meaningful conversations with artists, makers, and culture-bearers in Aotearoa/New Zealand. He is also a board member of the Motueka Arts Council, where he advocates for community-rooted, interdisciplinary art practice.
In addition to my work as an artist, I bring nearly three decades of experience as a professional designer and creative director. Whether you're seeking a distinctive logo, a meaningful mural, or creative direction for a larger project, I offer a collaborative process that balances conceptual depth with design precision. Let's connect and begin the conversation.
If you’re drawn to the symbolic and sculptural language of my work and would like to commission a piece, whether for a space, a story, or a brand I offer creative services that merge myth-informed aesthetics with contemporary craft. From ritual inspired artworks and bespoke installations to evocative visuals for record covers, wine labels, or other objects of cultural expression, I work closely with individuals and organisations to bring poetic ideas into form.
Alongside my studio practice, I offer select support for creative projects in digital product design, visual identity systems, and integrated marketing campaigns—particularly where narrative depth, symbolic cohesion, and emotional resonance are key.
That said, if what you’re after is a portrait of a loved one, a cultural icon, or even the neighbour’s dog, I’m open to that too. Not every commission needs to burn with archetypal fire.
Many original artworks are available for purchase, licensing, or rental. If you're interested in commissioning a piece, collaborating on a project, or acquiring work from the current collection, I welcome your enquiry.
Podcast / 21 September 2021
Rich McCoy unpacks some formative experiences from the Kalahari Desert, how we can conquer our creative fears, and why designing lean creates value faster. Highlights include: How has growing up in the Kalahari Desert shaped him? What does it mean to “get primal” with design? How do we get over our fear of showing our work? What are some clues that product teams are out of alignment? How has Dyslexia influenced his creative practice?
Podcast / 28 August 2021
In this episode, Rich shared great insights on lean design practices and their frameworks. Rich then spoke on the different ways of scaling lean practices across organizations without compromising the quality of deliverables and how lean practices help rapid innovation and find the right product-market fit.
Magazine / March 2013
The esteemed television network hailing from the UK, Channel 4, article featured in their creative talent magazine. The piece focuses on the pioneering efforts of creatives with dyslexia, including myself, who are making waves in the field of creative arts. Through their awe-inspiring and innovative projects, these individuals are elevating the conversation surrounding disabilities, advocating for greater awareness and acceptance.
Magazine / March 2013
A piece featuring my home office in the Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand, and exploring the workspaces and environments of creatives. It aims to delve into the unique sources of inspiration that drive our work and showcase the diversity of creative expression that emerges from these spaces.
Book / 18 May 2012
The Designer's Web Handbook helps any designer understand the full life cycle of a digital product: idea, design, production and maintenance. The best web designers create not only beautiful sites but also sites that function well-for both client and end user.
Book / 26 September 2008
The Web Designer's Idea Book includes more than 700 websites arranged thematically, so you can find inspiration for layout, color, style and more. Author Patrick McNeil has cataloged more than 5,000 sites on his website, and showcased in this book are the very best examples.
Book / 30 January 2003
Through activities, exercises and anecdotes this overflowing book gives creativity-tapped graphic designers several methods of generating ideas and reconnecting to their creative energy. This book targets the major obstacles in the creative process by guiding designers through exercises that jolt themselves, their colleagues, and their clients back to life.
Magazine / May 2001
This website was once an experimental platform where I had the opportunity to showcase my creative vision through playful digital art and innovative interfaces. I'm proud to have learned that the site was even used in the curriculum of Greenwich University London's Digital Design courses. If you're interested in discussing my experience with experimental design and digital art, please don't hesitate to get in touch.