Haydn Cottam is a British painter known for landscape works that are often informed by personal experiences of walking or cycling through natural environments. Born in 1959 in Southport, Merseyside, Haydn currently lives on the south coast of England. Alongside his painting career, he worked in education for over thirty years and was a senior lecturer in Illustration at the University of Westminster and has taught at West Dean College.
Haydn's paintings often depict landscapes or water and are inspired by his direct experiences of the natural world and the effects of light and atmospheric conditions on those environments. In some works an implied narrative is used as a way to suggest the possibilities of a setting for a non specific, wholly interpretive event.
Haydn Cottam studied painting at St. Martin's School of Art in London during the 1980s. After graduating, he worked and exhibited alongside artists such as Gavin Lockheart and Peter Doig in both London and California. He began his career focusing on figurative painting. In 1990, he was commended in the BP Portrait Award, and in 1991 he received the BP Travel Award. He later won the Carroll Foundation Award at the Mall Galleries in 1995. Over time, his interest shifted from figure painting to landscapes, reflecting a personal move away from urban environments toward more open and rural spaces.
Haydn's work has been widely exhibited, including shows in London, Berlin, Cardiff, Los Angeles, and across the UK. His paintings are part of the BBC's National Art Collection.