Rob Munday U.K., b. 1958

Biography
View works. Rob Munday, Felicity [Platinum Queen], 2004-2022
Felicity [Platinum Queen], 2004-2022
View works
Rob Munday FRSA was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, in 1958, and grew up in the small coastal village of Caister-on-Sea. After gaining A-Levels in both the arts and sciences, he moved to Cornwall and Devon and, in 1983, graduated from Plymouth University/Plymouth College of Art with a BA(Hons) in Scientific and Technical Graphics, the first degree outside of the USA to specialise in the fledgling fields of computer graphics, television and video together with the more traditional subjects of photography, graphic design, and illustration. In his final year, he taught himself the new medium of holography and became one of the UK’s first generation of holographers.
 
After graduating, Rob gained employment at Richmond Holographic Studios, working with pioneering artists Edwina Orr and David Traynor, and, at the same time, founded his own private holography studio, the forerunner of the studio and company he still operates today.
 
In 1985, Rob was invited to help establish and run the world's first postgraduate degree in creative holography as one of the three founding members of staff of the Royal College of Art's Holography Unit.
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During this time, Rob created some of the first computer-generated holographic stereogram artworks (1984), created the first-ever reflection holograms of living animals, being described by one magazine as the world's first 'wildlife holographer' (1984), designed and built the only dedicated holographic portrait studio outside of the USA (1985), and made the world's first micro-computer-generated holographic stereogram (1988).
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In 1991, Rob left the RCA to run his own holography studio full time, build and operate the only holographic portrait studio in the UK, and build the world's first 3D digital hologram printer. In achieving the latter, Rob also created the world's first 3D digital holograms in early 1992.
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Working as both an artist and a technical innovator, and specialising in portraiture and natural subjects, Rob has created many unique holographic works and light sculptures that can be found in collections and galleries throughout the world. These include The National Portrait Gallery, The Victoria & Albert Museum, The Royal Collections Trust, the UK Government Art Collection in London, the Imperial War Museum, the Maryland State Archives and the Fertitta Contemporary Art Collection.
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Rob's portrait sitters include Her Majesty the Queen, the film actress, director, and UN ambassador Angelina Jolie, fashion icons Karl Lagerfeld, Valentino, and Giancarlo Giammetti, rock stars Noel and Liam Gallagher, England footballer, and TV presenter Gary Lineker OBE, children’s laureates and best selling authors Dame Jacqueline Wilson, Anne Fine, Sir Michael Morpurgo, and Sir Quentin Blake, singer-songwriter Seal, TV presenter Carol Vorderman MBE, inventor and entrepreneur Sir Clive Sinclair, eminent American historian Dr. Edward Papenfuse and the distinguished WW1 veteran and world's oldest man Henry Allingham.
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Rob's career-defining commission came in 2003 when he was asked to shoot and create the first-ever official 3D/holographic portrait of Her Majesty the Queen. In accepting the commission Rob became the first-ever Royal holographer. The portrait was commissioned by The Jersey Heritage Trust-The States of Jersey to commemorate the island's 800-year allegiance to the English throne and was conducted as a joint and equal creative collaboration between Rob and graphic designer/artist Chris Levine. In 2011, The States of Jersey commissioned Rob individually to create the world's first holographic postage stamp to contain a holographic portrait of a Head of State to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Rob's portrait can also be seen adorning the world's first £100 banknote and was featured on the front cover of TIME Magazine in 2012. Also in 2012, the Queen was presented with one of Rob's portraits of herself on her official Diamond Jubilee visit to Richmond Park.
 
Works