Whilst studying for his BA at Goldsmiths College (1986-9) Mat Collishaw was invited to contribute to the 1988 'Freeze' exhibition at Surrey Docks, now considered to be the ground-zero exhibition British art of the 1990's. From such a public beginning he went on to contribute to group exhibitions in Italy, Austria, Switzerland, France, the USA, Holland, Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Canada, Germany, and of course London.

Collishaw's work has changed considerably since he first came to prominence, when he was known primarily for his work Bullet Hole, which presented advertising light-boxes displaying a close up image of a head wound. More recently he has been associated with images of nature that have been digitally manipulated to construct alternative fantasy worlds. From his first solo show in London, at Karsten Schubert in 1990, Collishaw has gone on to present solo shows in the USA, France, Switzerland and Italy, as well as back in London, such as at the Camden Arts Cenrtre in 1995.