Tom Mabon was born in Kirkcaldy, Fife in 1956. From the age of 18 he attended Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen, from 1974-1978. Mabon has lived on the Black Isle since 1985 and has had an incredibly prolific and successful career since he first started at Gray’s School of Art.

Due to the high level of respect that Mabon held amongst the Scottish teaching world, he was appointed Convener on the Art & Design Assessment Panel for the Scottish Qualifications Authority from 1998 – 2009. This demonstrates his high acclaim amongst his contemporaries in Scotland. As well as this, Mabon is also one of the directors of the Highland Print Studio and has been since 2008. The Highland Print Studio, based in Inverness, is an open access workshop with facilities for printmaking.

During his career, Mabon has won many awards, such as the Hector Memorial Prize in 1975; the Alexander C. Barker Legacy in 1976; the Latimer Award from the Royal Scottish Academy in 1981; he was a Major Prizewinner at the 7th Cleveland International Drawing Biennale, in 1985; he was a Runner-Up in the Morrison Scottish Portrait Award from the Royal Scottish Academy in 1993; and was a Runner-Up of the Aspect Prize, in 2007. He also features in several collections worldwide, from the Edinburgh City Collection, to work in Private collections ranging the UK, Eire, USA, Netherlands, RSA, Channel Islands, China, Japan and Australia. Mabon was also a shortlisted finalist at Noble Grossart Painting Prize, from the Royal Scottish Academy and the Glasgow School of Art in 1998 and 1999. He also exhibited with the Morrison Scottish Portrait Award, from the Royal Scottish Academy in 1999, 1997, 1993 and 1991.

He has also exhibited with many societes and as part of group exhibitions, such as the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition; the Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibiton; the Society of Scottish Artists and the Aberdeen Artists Society.

Mabon finds inspiration and subject matters closer to home in Scotland but also ventures to the likes of Italy and France in search of different landscapes.