About
“Dave’s core belief is in form and form is the beating heart of sculpture.
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Artist Statement
“I find the whole process of carving in stone or modelling with clay a uniquely physical encounter - intensely enjoyable and deeply engaging.
Whether I’m working closely to the human form or exploring more abstract relationships, the process of looking and creating is almost a process of meditation within which a more intuitive and distantly familiar set of rules apply.
I am incredibly proud to be working within the figurative tradition; for me, it spans cultures, connects us with our ancestors and hopefully the work I leave behind will be intelligible to generations to come.”
David trained at Exeter University with a BAHons and MA in Bio-Medical Engineering, and began his working life with pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson selling hip and knee joints to surgeons. Whilst his knowledge of anatomy flourished, his enjoyment of sales floundered and he realised the world of selling wasn’t for him. Running with an instinct he signed up for an evening class in portraiture taught by the sculptor John Jennings and the result was radical.
Driving over Saddleworth Moors one evening, David had a ‘road to Damascus’ experience. He decided to hand in his notice and go travelling around Africa in a Land Rover with his younger brother. They were there for a year.
On his return, he started a Fine Art degree at Staffordshire University and continued his studies for a further two years at the Frink School of Sculpture where he completed the post-graduate course in Figurative Sculpture.
David now lives on the South Coast, close to the stones he loved to carve. He has a studio at home and is also the resident sculptor at Architectural Plants in Pulborough. His work as a stone-carver echoes that of Michelangelo with figures emerging from carved and rough-hued stone; as a portraitist, perhaps that of Rodin with lively modelling and an exquisite skill in capturing both likeness and character. Elements of anatomy and the influence of Africa run deeply through his pieces.
David regularly shows his stone work at Thackeray Gallery in Kensington and his carvings have been included in internationally acclaimed shows across the UK and France. He is a Member of the Society of Sculptors and the Society of Portrait Sculptors and is a regular visiting tutor at The Art Academy, London. Awards include the Freakley and Masterclass Prize for portrait sculpture. Maquettes of David’s work have also been shown at the V&A Museum in London (see below).
