Harold David

Harold David is a multidisciplinary artist that draws his inspiration from life, his personal feelings and the universal field. “I tap into the unknown space that we all share as humans.” After establishing himself as one of Australia’s premier portrait photographers, Harold turned his focus to painting. “I have been painting since the age of 12. Growing up in America with a single mother who worked night shift in a factory, I used this time sneaking into her make-up bag and using her nail polishes as paint,” he says. “Now in my 50’s I have mustered up enough courage to share my love of painting with the public.” His first solo exhibition for his painted works in October 2019 was a sold out show. The man has serious style. When asked about is process he explains, “I put paint on the brush and I have faith and do it. As an Abstract Surrealist I apply pure automatism and invent my own figurative universes. I work in a spontaneous and fluid way and I don’t take into account coherence and sense.” There’s a sense of pure freedom in the work that’s universal and poignant.

Harold David’s photographic exhibition practice includes solo shows: Uniform World and Tracksuits of St Marys, Penrith Regional Gallery; Fujieda City Museum and Hakusan Citizen’s Arts Centre, Japan; Surface, Sydney Fringe Festival; Texas Trailer Park and Rapture, Rubyayre Gallery; Runway, Australian Centre for Photography, Others, Art Gallery of NSW, Garage Barbershop, Blacktown Arts Centre and Survey, Day Fine Art. His portrait of Bob Hawke drinking a milkshake won the 2018 National Portrait Prize - People’s Choice Award.