Born in 1969 in Woodland, CA and currently based in Los Angeles, Mungo Thomson is known for a diverse body of conceptual work that challenges everyday perceptions and conventions through film, sound, sculpture, installation, and other media. Often engaging with printed and archival materials such as magazines, advertisements, wall calendars, and cardboard delivery boxes, his ambitious practice incisively yet playfully dissects the anatomy of mass-media and consumerism while examining their effects on our collective existence through a cosmic lens.
The artist’s recent solo exhibitions include Background Materials, MAKI Gallery (Tokyo, 2025); Walking Pictures, ISETAN The Stage (Tokyo, 2025); Time Life and A Universal Picture, Karma (New York, 2025); Collection in Focus: Mungo Thomson, Walker Art Center (Minneapolis, 2023); Sculptures, Aspen Art Museum (Aspen, CO, 2022); and Sideways Thought, galerie frank elbaz (Paris, 2022). Thomson’s work has been part of group shows at major institutions across the globe, as well as numerous public collections such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles County Museum of Art [LACMA]; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles [MOCA]; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; and Museo Jumex, Mexico City. He has also participated in the 2nd CAFAM Biennale, Beijing; the Pacific Standard Time Performance and Public Art Festival, Los Angeles; the 12th Istanbul Biennial; and the 2008 Whitney Biennial. The artist’s work was featured in the 2025 New York Film Festival, and he is the recipient of a 2025 Guggenheim Fellowship.
Courtesy MAKI


A respected voice in contemporary art discourse.
Focusing on ambitious storytelling and insightful art-world commentary. Ocula Magazine publishes in-depth interviews, critical essays and timely analysis on the artists, exhibitions and ideas driving the global art world.
Learn more about Ocula Magazine
Showcasing the best of the art world.
Ocula partners with galleries from around the world to highlight their artists, artworks and exhibitions. Gallery membership is by application and invitation, with each member vetted by an independent panel.
Learn more about Ocula Membership
Specialises in the sale of major artworks.
Led by a team with deep ties to the world’s leading auction houses, galleries and collectors. Ocula’s advisory team offers bespoke services to high-net-worth clients from around the world who are looking to acquire the best of contemporary and modern art.
Learn more about our team and services