Selected Exhibitions + Events
We Are Ten
David first exhibited with Tatha Gallery in 2015. This year, five of his new sea-surface abstracts are included in the gallery’s 10th anniversary exhibition.
Tatha Gallery, Newport-on-Tay, Fife, Scotland
April 6th – May 11th 2024
Ice & Water
In late May, the University of Iceland, Reykjavík, will present an exhibition, conference and workshops centered around circular thinking on cultural and environmental sustainability. Prints of David’s “letter artworks” (from the project Where Once the Waters) will be exhibited.
University of Iceland, Reykjavík
May 2024
Tenth Solo Exhibition (Title TBC)
This September David will present his tenth solo exhibition, revisiting some of his key themes over the last fourteen years.
The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland
September 2024
Featured
Where Once the Waters
Solo Exhibition
David held a small solo exhibition principally discussing the topic of sea-rise, during the first months of the 59th edition of the Venice Biennale. Listed as an associated event and opened during the official Biennale launch week 2022, over the course of its display, Where Once the Waters featured widely online: recommended by journalist Holly Howe at whynow? as British art to see at the 2022 Biennale; selected by The Scottish Gallery’s Sophie Lawson for The View from the Venice Biennale 2022; listed in My Art Guides and Biennale Arte Guide 2022; and four times reached the number one search result from over 280k using #VeniceBiennale on social media.
Works from the series have also been presented during the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2022, selected for EcoArtSpace’s I AM WATER open call, exhibited in Glasgow during COP26 and Sharm el-Sheikh during COP27. A scaled-down tour of the project is underway, and a book is now available.
For enquiries please contact the studio
Castello, Venice, Italy
Spring 2022
500 Years
Performance
David was invited to produce a Christie’s Lates event. The result was an immersive performance, combining sight, sound and scent, imagining sea-level rise across five centuries. Devised by David Cass and featuring violinists Aisling O’Dea, Emma Purslow & Anita Vedres, 500 Years was part of Christie’s December 4th programme Old Masters, New Era.
The Great Room, Christie’s
King Street, London, England
December 2023
Recent
Behold
Four paintings were included in a mixed group show.
The Watermill Gallery, Aberfeldy, Scotland
November 2023 – March 2024
The Miniaturist Gallery
The Miniaturist Gallery was a theatrical play on scale offering the experience of a gallery within a gallery. David was invited to create two artworks for the exhibition, which can be seen in this short studio film.
The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland
November – December 2023
Ships in Distress off a Rocky Coast:
An Olfactory Exhibition
An innovative sensory exhibition centred around Julius Porcellis’s c.1630 painting Ships in Distress off a Rocky Coast. Two other Old Masters’ works were included in this exhibition, alongside a painting by Cass which acted as a form of counterpoint to Porcellis’s, visualising a future scenario in which global heating has heightened the severity of storm surges and dramatically altered sea-levels.
Christie’s, King Street, London, England
December 2023
Slow Praxis
Though focussed on the topic of climate change, Slow Praxis was not an exhibition of despair or sweeping gestures imploring desperately that we solve the climate conundrum, rather, it was an exhibition about slowing down, living sustainably and within our means, using and re-using what we already have, observing, listening deeply, and importantly, exercising restraint – perhaps the most powerful achievable strategy we as individuals have at our disposal. Aristotle wrote: ‘what it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do.’ If we are to have a chance of moving away from a future characterised by runaway climate change, we must be mindful of the long-term impacts of our actions on the world around us. We must, like the artists in this exhibition, approach from alternative angles and question established processes. Co-curated by Cass.
Tatha Gallery, Newport-on-Tay, Fife, Scotland
September – October 2023
Some Kind of Nature:
An EcoArtSpace Juried Exhibition
“Some Kind of Nature presents a special kind of artist, each called to speak for our planet. As varied as their voices are, these artists are unified in their dedication to home (oikos – home in Greek – is the root of ecological). In their own particular words, they are connector (Aline Mare & Claire McConaughy), collaborator (Moira Bateman & Rosalyn Driscoll), salvager (David Cass), steward (Lil Olive), re-imaginer (Bia Gayotto), cross disciplinarian (Anna Mein), scientist (Joan Baron & Kelly Eckel), mapper (Meredith Nemirov, Perry Lynch Howard & Stacy Levy), naturalist (Karen Hackenberg), apprentice (Erika Osborne), contemplator (Holly Fay), devotee (Beth Ames Swartz), and mystic (Catherine Ruane). To draw further from their language, I imagine these ‘Earth Poets’ would all agree they share the feeling of ‘communion with place,’ (Mary Meyer) … I would even espouse that their work reflects the words of Prof. Henryk Skolimowski, the father of eco-philosophy who made the case that no matter your race and religion, ecology binds all human and non-human living things together.”
— Exhibition Juror Dominque Mazeaud
FOMA, Guadalupe Center, Santa Fe, USA
September 2023
Thirteen Days
Thirteen miniature seascapes from David’s Where Once the Waters project were exhibited during the group exhibition Folk at Heart.
The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland
August – September 2023
Points of Return + Where Once the Waters
Alongside artist Gonzaga Gómez-Córtazar, David co-curated a physical version of Points of Return for the Umbrella Arts Center. David also exhibited an updated instalment of his Where Once the Waters “letter artworks” exactly one year after their first showing at Venice Biennale.
The Umbrella Arts Center, Concord (MA.) USA
May – June 2023
Fifty Days
Fifty miniature seascapes from David’s Where Once the Waters project were shown during Moncrieff–Bray Gallery’s Summer Exhibition. Thus, the two components of this ongoing project were exhibited simultaneously, on different continents.
Woodruffs Farm, Egdean, West Sussex, England
May – June 2023
Online Viewing
Art Speaks Out | IkonoTV:
David Cass & Gonzaga Gómez Cortázar Romero
Artists David Cass & Gonzaga Gómez Cortázar Romero have been collaborating on climate oriented projects for the last eight years. While their principal shared pursuit has been the curatorial project A La Luz – which “sheds light” or provides a “spotlight” onto the work of environmental artists around the globe – their collaboration also sees the production of explorative fine-art films, including El Bosque Encarnado, featured during ArtCOP 21 in Paris. The success of their exchange comes from their complimentary yet contrasting approaches. In a new channel, created for streaming platform IkonoTV, we see a curated selection of the artists’ film projects. Gómez Cortázar’s lens looks inland, while Cass’ looks out to sea. Cass’ films usually document and record his studio practice; Gómez Cortázar’s slow down and observe typically overlooked details. From issues of rising sea levels, to the importance of safeguarding our Earth’s resources.
Explore the channel
Ongoing
The Sea from Here:
theseafromhere.com
An online exhibition, designed and curated by David Cass, bringing together the results of two recent undertakings: a collaboration with oceanographer John Englander, and a lockdown project in which Cass gathered seascape photographs from people around the world during 2020. The outcome is both a social and educational artwork, exploring the sea that connects us all, during an unprecedented and turbulent period. Last year was not only devastating for our planet’s human population, but also for our oceans, which reached their hottest level in recorded history.
Enter here
Ongoing
Journey of an Artwork:
davidcass.art/exhibition
A presentation on this website, created during 2020, focussing on Cass’ watercolour-on-wood artworks. Arranged as a model of an exhibition – a surrogate while we wait for full-scale encounters to return – photographs of the studio and artworks created over the last decade are accompanied by text from art historian Patricia Emison.
Enter here
Ongoing
Points of Return:
pointsofreturn.org
A virtual exhibition curated by David Cass & Gonzaga Gómez-Cortázar, featuring twenty-five international artists whose work explores wide ranging aspects of the climate emergency; offering commentary and creative nature-based strategies. Watch this space for a 2023 physical showing of selected works from the project, including works from Cass’ Where Once the Waters series.
Enter here
Ongoing
Past
One Hundred Days
During February 2023, David presented a group of 100 miniature seascapes from his Where Once the Waters project, alongside other larger works in oil and a set of lockdown gouache paintings, as part of the Scottish Gallery group exhibition Contemporary. The exhibition also included Doug Cocker, David Cook, Kate Downie, Richard Goldsworthy, Christine McArthur & Calum McClure.
“Contemporary brings together seven exceptional artists in recognition of the strength and depth of their artistic talent”
Visit the dedicated webpage
Illustrated blog post
The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
February 2023
COP 27:
Art Speaks Out | Videos for our Climate
David was selected by IkonoTV to present a two-part video artwork related to his Where Once the Waters series at COP27 in Egypt. The piece presented research for David’s “letter artworks” – a concept first introduced during COP26, and first exhibited during the 59th Venice Biennale – and included a digitised Letter to Mesi, explaining sea-level changes at Egypt’s northern coast.
Presented on the Green Zone stage at COP27 & online
Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
In collaboration with IkonoTV and fellow artist Gonzaga Gómez-Cortázar, David has contributed to a new channel, read more under Online Viewing
Six Days
For the fourth year running, David was invited to participate in the annual show of the iconic Fry Gallery in Saffron Walden, alongside works by Edward Bawden, Eric Ravilious, Paula Rego, Anne Desmet, Simon Carter, Tessa Newcomb, Maggi Hambling and more. One in a series of post-Biennale venues lined up to present works from David’s Where Once the Waters series.
The Fry Art Gallery Society, Essex
November 2022
New York Billboard
David’s Letter to Rhea – a “letter artwork” from the series Where Once the Waters – was enlarged and presented in billboard format in Brooklyn, New York, thanks to the EcoArtSpace & Our Humanity Matters I AM WATER campaign.
Read more on David’s blog
Sunset Park, Brooklyn; 39th Street & 4th Avenue
Summer & Autumn 2022
Twelve Days
Continuing on from David’s Venice Biennale exhibition Where Once the Waters, a series of venues are set to host works from this ongoing project. During October, a dozen seascape paintings were shown virtually on the Tatha Gallery website. These remain available to view in person at the gallery.
Tatha Gallery, Newport-on-Tay, Fife
October 2022
Summer Exhibition 2022:
Royal Academy
Five of David’s “letter artworks” (from the series Where Once the Waters) were selected for this year’s renowned Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Presented in two frames, one piece tells of sea level rise caused by global heating, while the other addresses four Summer Exhibition jury members born in or near London, describing changes in the river Thames across their lifetimes.
Read more on David’s blog
Royal Academy of the Arts, London
June – August 2022
Studio Sale:
The Auction Collective
A timed silent auction of works of art direct from the studios of David Cass.
June –July 2022
Fundraising Auction:
Help Ukraine Without Reserve
Curated by RABOTA and The Auction Collective, aiming to raise as much money as possible for The Disasters Emergency Committee.
March 2022
Presence
David exhibited a set of ten printed and framed seascape photographs from his ongoing series Panthalassa in Tatha Gallery’s end of year group show, Presence.
Tatha Gallery, Newport-on-Tay, Fife
November – December 2021
COP26:
Two presentations
Letter for Glasgow
The first of David’s Where Once the Waters “letter artworks” was presented in large scale poster format, in central Glasgow, during COP26, thanks to Climate Fringe’s Glasgow Poster Project (in collaboration with Climate Change Creative).
Forest Fire Aftermath (Athens 2021)
David also presented Forest Fire Aftermath (Athens 2021) photographs during COP26, as a projection reel inside the iconic Govanhill Baths, Glasgow.
October – November 2021
Andiamo!
Forty Years of the RSA John Kinross Scholarship
A trio of David’s 2010 RSA Collection paintings were presented during this significant exhibition of Florence scholars. David’s work also features in the exhibition’s publication, with text by curator Sandy Wood.
More about David’s scholarship experience can be read here
One collection work can be seen here
The Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
September – October 2021
Three Scholars discuss the impact of the John Kinross Scholarship
The RSA John Kinross Scholarships are awarded to final year and postgraduate artists and architects to spend a period of 6 to 12 weeks in Florence to research and develop their practice. David received the scholarship in 2010. Chaired by Mary Bourne RSA this discussion heard from three diverse artists – including David – about the impact the scholarship has had on their work.
View a recording here | Password: rsa
September 2021
Virtual Open Studio
As a fundraiser for David’s Venice Biennale exhibition – Where Once the Waters – an eclectic mix of old and new artworks, studies, experiments and one-off pieces were presented in a Virtual Open Studio on this website.
September – December 2021
Summer Exhibition:
Moncrieff–Bray Gallery
This was David’s first exhibition with Moncrieff–Bray, having been taken on by the gallery in early 2021. Moncrieff–Bray is a spectacular 120 square metre converted barn with stunning views over the South Downs. Their summer show 2021 introduced several new artists, as well as welcoming back those who’d shown there since opening 16 years ago. More can be read online. David also did an Instagram takeover for the gallery in the run up to the opening: @moncrieffbray
Woodruffs Farm, Egdean, West Sussex
April – October 2021
Annual Exhibition:
RSA 2021
The Royal Scottish Academy presented the 195th Annual Exhibition for the second time entirely online, as a result of Covid-19.
April – May 2021
Tides Changing, Changing Tides:
An SSA Exhibition
Scotland has 10,250 miles of stunning coastline. We are never, at any one point, far from the sea, lochs, canals or rivers. Our coasts and waters have always inspired artists, often eliciting responses that question our environmental sustainability and the impact on our precious natural resources. Tides Changing | Changing Tides focusses on the effects we are having on our coasts and waters and the harsh truths that are unfolding before us.
The exhibition was initially planned and curated as two separate shows by the Society of Scottish Artists, which were due to be held at Old Gala House earlier this year. Unfortunately, neither show could go ahead because of Covid-19. The Society presented the work in a digital format instead.
December – January 2021
30 x 30:
An SSA Exhibition
This online exhibition showcased a variety of small artworks from across the breadth of the Society of Scottish Artists’ membership.
December – January 2021
Bring in the Light
As 2020 – a year which brought unprecedented challenges and changes – came to an end, Tatha Gallery aimed to offer a little light with their winter group exhibition. A series of David’s oil seascapes were included; some of which remain available through the gallery.
Tatha Gallery, Newport-on-Tay, Fife
November – December 2020
Holt Festival
David exhibited at the scaled-back 2020 Holt Festival, as part of the Sir John Hurt Art Prize, reaching the final shortlist. For a variety of reasons, the exhibition was closed early this year.
Hawthorn House, Holt
September 2020
Salvage Scotland:
A Maritime SOS
This project from Journeys in Design celebrated heritage & sustainable design initiatives alive in Scotland’s coastal communities. As a result of Covid-19, the exhibition took the form of a virtual (online) journey around Scotland’s coast. A conversation between John Ennis & David can be seen here.
July – August 2020
Surface
Curatorial Project
Featuring: Roger Ackling, David Cass, Roland Fraser, Derrick Guild, Kevin Harman, William Kentridge, Hayley Tompkins & Andrea V Wright.
A presentation of works selected by David Cass, organised in association with Art North Magazine and displayed on the platform Projectroom2020. Featuring works by eight artists working upon re-imagined grounds. The online presentation has been archived & can be used as a resource: here.
May – July 2020
Annual Exhibition:
RSA
The Royal Scottish Academy presented the 194th Annual Exhibition for the first time entirely online, as a result of Covid-19. Two of David’s conceptual works from the series As Coastline is to Ocean were selected for the exhibition.
April – May 2020
Horizon Rising
(Fàire a’ Dìreadh)
Solo Exhibition
As Scotland’s Year of Coasts & Waters began, Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum & Arts Centre presented a second instalment of David’s sea-rise series.
Including: tutorials, talk & tour, Found workshop
North Uist, Outer Hebrides
January – February 2020
Annual Exhibition:
Fry Gallery
David was invited to participate in the annual show of this iconic gallery in historic Saffron Walden, presenting six 2019 artworks; alongside works by John Aldridge, Edward Bawden, John Bellany, Anne Desmet, Nigel Hall, Ken Howard, Eduardo Paolozzi, Michael Rothenstein & many more.
The Fry Art Gallery Society, Essex
November 2019
The Miniaturists
Each year The Scottish Gallery holds an exhibition of miniatures.
The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
October – December 2019
As Coastline is to Ocean
A collaborative exhibition between David Cass, Joseph Calleja, and the estate of Robert Callender. Read more here. The micro-exhibition Coast ran alongside As Coastline is to Ocean, co-curated by David.
An Talla Solais, Ullapool
July – September 2019
Summer Exhibition:
Royal Academy
David’s artwork Boundary featured in the 2019 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.
Royal Academy of the Arts, London
June – August 2019
Edinburgh School & Wider Circle
The Scottish Gallery presented The Edinburgh School & Wider Circle at Border’s Art Fair 2019. This included a selection of Scottish artists who are associated with Edinburgh College of Art. David was brought up in the Scottish Borders and graduated from Edinburgh College of Art, and so it is apt that a set of his recent works were on show.
Borders Art Fair, Scottish Borders
March 2019
Rising Horizon
Solo Exhibition
David's 5th solo exhibition with The Scottish Gallery opened in early 2019. Selected works from the show can be seen here. This series saw David take to new working materials – chiefly recycled plastic waste and metals – to discuss the topic of sea rise. The exhibition was The Herald’s critics choice upon opening.
The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
January – February 2019
Sea Fever
Curated by The Auction Collective, Sea Fever was an exhibition & auction inspired by John Masefield's 1902 poem of the same name. The Auction Collective scoured the UK to create a group of sea-themed art pieces from a wide variety of artists. A set of David's works – old & new – were included.
Hoxton Arches, London
September 2018
Annual Exhibition:
RSA
As in previous years, David featured in the RSA Summer Show. His piece received the RSA Benno Schotz Prize as 'the most promising work by a Scottish artist under 35'.
RSA, The Mound, Edinburgh
June – July 2018
Henley Festival
A set of David's watercolour seascapes were on show during the festival.
July 2018
Courting the Muse
A set of five artists offered insight into the relationship they have with their muse(s). David presented a series of seascapes in a variety of media.
Tatha Gallery, Newport-on-Tay, Fife
March – May 2018
Italian Cultural Institute:
Royal Scottish Academy Scholars
Work by John Kinross alumni David Cass, James Dixon, Giovanni Giacoia, Jessica Harrison, Jonny Lyons, Geoff Uglow, Michael Visocchi and more. Special guests included Carlo Francini (UNESCO), Tomasso Sacchi (Florence Commissioner of Culture), the Italian Consul General & Director of Edinburgh World Heritage. David's book 'Perimetri Perduti' was presented alongside a selection of Florence inspired works.
Italian Cultural Institute, Edinburgh
March – April 2018
Airs, Reels & Ballads
Curated by St Jude's and The Scottish Gallery, this show featured the work of 19 painters, printmakers and makers. One of Cass's works from the show are still available for purchase: contact The Scottish Gallery directly.
The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
November 2017
Foreign Familiar
Curatorial Project
An exhibition curated by David Cass, in The Balmoral's exhibition space in central Edinburgh. David's Venice oils and Lucca drawings were on show alongside Italian works from fellow Scottish artists who (have) made Italy their subject-matter, including works by Elizabeth Blackadder, Victoria Crowe, David McClure & Joan Eardley. Visit the dedicated webpage here. In collaboration with The Scottish Gallery and McClure Estate.
The Scottish Gallery at the Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh
April – Sept 2017
Water Paper Paint
A selection of David's watercolours, including selected Florence in flood works were included. David gave a live painting demonstration for the show's sponsors — Winsor and Newton — during the exhibition.
The Royal Watercolour Society, London
April 2017
Pelàda
Solo Exhibition
To open The Scottish Gallery's anniversary celebrations, David was selected to exhibit as an ambassador of the gallery's contemporary tier. This was David's fourth solo exhibition with this gallery. His subject-matter for this project was Venice, and the issues presented to the city today in the face of rising sea-levels and mass tourism.
The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
January 2017
Perimetri Perduti:
Part II
Solo Event
The Fruitmarket Gallery hosted this project presentation in Edinburgh. David Cass spoke at the event, as well as Edinburgh's Lord Provost, and George Donald RSA - highlighting the bond between Edinburgh & Florence - official twinned cities. The event presented David's book Perimetri Perduti, alongside a series of paintings, archival material, and a film by the artist each exploring the history of Florence's 1966 flood.
The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh
January 2017
Perimetri Perduti:
Part I
Solo Exhibition
An exhibition of paintings & a book launch in Florence. Early November 2016 marked the 50th year since Florence's 1966 flood. David Cass assembled & designed a book which illustrates and describes the events surrounding the catastrophic inundation, drawing parallels with contemporary environmental extremes. The launch event featured eye witness accounts from those that lived through the flood, and was followed by the Italian premiere of Roger Graef's controversial film 'Why Save Florence'. Read more on the dedicated page.
The British Institute of Florence, Palazzo Lanfredini, Florence
November 2016
Edinburgh Art Fair
Tatha Gallery exhibited a small selection of David's paintings to this year's Edinburgh Art Fair.
Corn Exchange, Edinburgh
November 2016
London: a Sense of Place
London has been the home of the Royal Watercolour Society since its foundation in 1804. Originally exhibiting in Pall Mall, then moving to Conduit Street in Mayfair (1938) before finally relocating to Bankside (1980), the Society has engaged with London for over 200 years. RWS member artists have been inspired by its people, history, architecture, diversity and the many opportunities for artistic exploration and expression. London: A Sense Of Place was a chance for the RWS to exhibit the works they have made in response to this extraordinary city. Read about David Cass's inclusions here.
Bankside Gallery, The Royal Watercolour Society, London
Oct – Nov 2016
Till it's Gone
Istanbul Modern welcomed 2016 with an exhibition praising nature and focusing on environmental awareness. The exhibition reflected artists’ relationships with nature and presented interpretations of the concept of sustainability. Featuring artists from various periods and geographies, Till it's Gone explored artistic positions and approaches to ecological issues and to the world we live in. The exhibition opened on January 13th 2016. A special preliminary program started on December 23rd, featuring Yoko Ono’s large-scale installation 'Ex It', described as “life as a continuation” by the artist. Also on view was an art program on environmental themes conceived by IkonoTV through a worldwide open call on the occasion of the Paris Climate Conference (COP21). Cass presented a filmed work – El Bosque Encarnado – created in an arid-zone in southern Spain, with artist Gonzaga Gómez-Cortázar. The film - set in the aftermath of a forest fire - has been part of several key exhibitions around the world concerned with environmental change. The film may be viewed by contacting the artist, though is not available for public showing at this time.
Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Istanbul, Turkey
December 2015 – June 2016
Surface:
Part I
Solo Exhibition
A comprehensive look at David's found-object based water paintings created between 2010 & 2016.
Gayfield Creative, Edinburgh
April – May 2016
Rome Media Art Festival
Multimedia arts festival spread across Rome, in partnership with Google.
Festival base: MAXXI Museum, Rome
April 2016
Made in Colour
David's first exhibition with the prestigious Royal Watercolour Society since being elected an associate member to this historic society in March 2016.
Bankside Gallery, London
March – April 2016
RWS Contemporary Competition
Annual Royal Watercolour Society Competition, where David was awarded Winsor & Newton's top award.
Bankside Gallery, London
March 2016
Drawing on Drawing
A major exhibition of drawings which took place at ECA. The exhibition brought together works by current students in all years from across the School of Art, alongside drawings from staff and invited ex-students for whom drawing is a central part of their practice. It encompassed drawing as both the point of departure and drawing as destination – from the initial manifestation of an idea through to the finalised realisation of a response.
Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh
February – March 2016
Art Speaks Out:
ArtCop21 Paris
IkonoTV (Berlin) in collaboration with ArtCop21 (Paris) aired El Bosque Encarnado. The film tackles issues directly related to the talks in the city, adding to a bank of climate concerned artworks.
December 2015
Tonight Rain, Tomorrow Mud
Solo Exhibition
Third solo exhibition in The Scottish Gallery. Artworks (on paper) describing recent travels, as well as scenes of historic Great Floods – chiefly, inundation in Florence and Paris.
July 2015
Quest'Arno! Quest'Arno!
Two Person Show
Collaborative exhibition on the subject of the Florence 1966 flood, with artist Stephen Kavanagh.
SACI Gallery, Palazzo dei Cartelloni, Florence
March – April 2015
Small Paintings, Ceramics & Sculpture
A group exhibition from Bohun Gallery.
Henley-On-Thames
November – January 2015
Affordable Art Fair
Bo Lee Gallery took a selection of David’s artworks to the London AAF.
October 2014
Can Serrat:
Residency & Exhibition
David took part in a residency in El Bruc, Barcelona, Spain.
September 2014
Joya: arte + ecología:
Artist in Residence
Residency part one of two, creating artworks in an arid-zone.
Sierra María-Los Vélez Natural Park, Andalucía, Spain
August 2014
Summer Exhibition:
Royal Academy
David was selected to take part in the Royal Academy annual Summer Exhibition.
June – August 2014
Scottish Art Today
This major show brought together some of the best known and most influential Scottish artists working today and those who shaped the direction of Scottish art during the second half of the 20th Century. The roll call included, among others: Elizabeth Blackadder, David Cass, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Donald MacIntyre, Barbara Rae, Jennifer McRae and Donald Hamilton Fraser.
Bohun Gallery, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
June – September 2014
Obsession
Curated group show curated by Charlotte Meddings, featured on BBC Radio 4.
Embassy Tea Gallery, Union Street, London
June 2014
Hidden Door:
Edinburgh Arts Festival
The festival took place in Edinburgh's Market Street Vaults.
March – April 2014
RWS Contemporary Competition
David received first place at this Royal Watercolour Society exhibition, before becoming an associate of the society.
Bankside Gallery, London
March 2014
National Open Art Competition:
Chichester & London
The Minerva Theatre & The Royal College of Art, London
November 2013
Scottish Art
Mixed show of established and emerging Scottish artists curated by McClure Art.
Melrose, Scottish Borders
November 2013
Paper Planes
Including artists: Callum Innes, Andrew Mackenzie, David Cass, Bronwen Sleigh, Graeme Todd, Pat Law and Mary Morrison.
The Cloudhouse, Stow, Scottish Borders
Aug – Sept 2013
Years of Dust & Dry
Solo Exhibition
The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
June 2013
Travelling Light
An Talla Solais, Ullapool
April – May 2013
The Sunday Times Watercolour Competition Exhibitions
The Lightbox, Surrey & Mall Galleries, London
July – Nov 2012
Drawing from the Landscape
The Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
June 2012
The Listener
Collective exhibition of RSA John Kinross scholars.
The Telfer Gallery, Glasgow
May 2012
Contemporary Perspectives
Inaugural exhibition in the Threadneedle Space.
The Mall Galleries, London
April 2012
Annual Exhibition:
Visual Arts Scotland
The Mound, Edinburgh
Feb 2012
Right Place, Time Left
Two Person Show
Collaborative exhibition with Charlotte Nieuwenhuys.
VDK, Brussels
November 2011
Toronto Art Fair
A series of works taken by The Scottish Gallery to Toronto Art Fair.
November 2011
Royal Society of Marine Artists Competition & Exhibition
Mall Galleries, London
October 2011
Unearthed
Solo Exhibition
The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh
September 2011
Solar Pavilion:
Edinburgh Arts Festival
Collaboration with Joseph Calleja & Karen Forbes.
St Andrew's Square, Edinburgh
September 2011
When the Moon Hits your Eye
Group show funded by the RSA & Arts Trust Scotland.
Shoreditch Town Hall, London
April 2011
Salon
Curated by Line Magazine.
Doubtfire Gallery, Edinburgh
March 2011
A
The Demarco Archive at Craigcrook Castle, Edinburgh
January 2011
Past, Present, Future
The Henderson Gallery, Edinburgh
December 2010
Paesaggi
Galleria d'Arte Civico 69, Florence
December 2010
Degree Show
David graduated with First Class Honours in Drawing & Painting from Edinburgh College of Art.
Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh
June 2010
Invitations + Illustration + Awards
Invited to participate in Christie’s Lates (December 2023)
Selected by jury to participate in Some Kind of Nature by EcoArtSpace | Santa Fe (2023)
Selected to take part in Art Speaks Out by IkonoTV | Part of COP27, Sharm el-Sheikh (2022)
Included in Out of the Box: A Celebration of Contemporary Box Art by Tom Buchanan & Sarah Lea | eightbooks (2022)
Included in the EcoArtSpace I AM WATER New York billboard campaign (2022)
Illustration for Claudia Roden’s Med: A Cookbook in collaboration with APE inc. | Penguin, Ebury Press (2021)
Included in the Royal Scottish Academy publication Andiamo! (2021)
Included in Climate Fringe’s Glasgow Poster Project in collaboration with Climate Change Creative | COP26, Glasgow (2021)
Digital / design contributions to Elizabeth Ogilvie & Robert Page’s COP26 project Into the Oceanic (2021)
Finalist in the Sir John Hurt Art Prize | One of four artists highly commended by the judges (2020)
Invited to join the Society of Scottish Artists (2020)
As Coastline is to Ocean (book) taken into the collection of the British Library (2020)
Awarded Creative Scotland exhibition funding (2019)
Illustration feature for Our Entangled Future | University of Oslo (2019)
Longlisted to exhibit during the 2020 Edinburgh Science Festival (2019)
Illustration for Mark Haddon’s novel The Porpoise | Penguin / Vintage, Chatto & Windus | British hardback & Spanish paperback (2018 – 2019)
Awarded the Royal Scottish Academy’s Benno Schotz prize (2018)
Perimetri Perduti (book) acquired for the collection of the RSA (2018)
Selected to participate in Snehta Residency in Athens (2017)
Watercolours acquired for the collection of Winsor & Newton (2017)
Selected to exhibit at MAXXI Museum Rome | A collaboration with Google Arts & Culture (2017)
Included in ArtUK’s database (2017)
Awarded Winsor & Newton’s top prize for watercolour innovation (2016)
Selected to be part of the RWS Contemporary Competition (2016)
Selected to be part of Till it's Gone in Istanbul Museum of Modern Art (2016)
Selected to participate in Art Speaks Out by IkonoTV | Part of ArtCOP / COP21, Paris (2015)
TV mini-doc made & aired by ITV (2015)
Selected to participate in Hafnarborg Museum’s residency in Iceland (2015)
Awarded Arts Trust funding (2014)
Selected to be part of the National Open Art Competition (2014)
Pre-selected for The Threadneedle Prize (2013)
Selected to be part of The Sunday Times Watercolour Competition (2012)
Recipient of the Telfer Gallery Award (2012)
Recipient of a South of Scotland Visual Artist Award (2012)
Selected to be part of the BBC's Your Paintings online collection (2012)
Recipient of The Royal Watercolour Society’s Contemporary Competition award | First place (2012)
Selected to be part of Saatchi Gallery's 100 Curators 100 Days (2012)
Recipient of the Royal Society of Marine Artists’ Young Artist award | First place (2011)
Awarded Royal Scottish Academy exhibition funding (2011)
Awarded Arts Trust funding (2011)
Finalist in the Jolomo Bank of Scotland Awards (2011)
Six artworks selected to be part of the Royal Scottish Academy’s permanent collection (2011)
Finalist in the RSA William Littlejohn Award for excellence & innovation in watercolour (2011)
Shortlisted for the RSA Morton Award for lens based media (2011)
Recipient of the Art Space to Let Artist of the Year award (2010)
Recipient of the Royal Scottish Academy’s John Kinross Scholarship to Florence (2010)
Recipient of the Alexander Flynn Bequest (2009)
Shortlisted for a Yale scholarship (2009)
Outreach
An Talla Solais Gallery, Ullapool (workshops, tours, talk)
Bankside Gallery, London (demonstration)
Borders College, Scottish Borders (talk)
British Institute of Florence, Florence (talk)
Christie’s, London (performance)
Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh (lecture, workshop, tutorials)
Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh (talk, event)
Points of Return, online exhibition (artist discussions, virtual events)
Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh (talks)
SACI Gallery, Florence (event)
Scene Stirling | Creative Scotland + Stirling Council (artist mentoring)
Taigh Chearsabhagh Arts Centre, Lochmaddy (workshop, talk)
Tatha Gallery, Fife (demonstration)
The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh (demonstration, talks)
The Umbrella Arts Center, Concord MA (tours, talks, events)
University College Isle of Man, Douglas (student tutorials, talk)
University of the Highlands & Islands, Lochmaddy (student tutorials)
University of New Hampshire, NH, USA (guest class speaker, Q&A)
Where Once the Waters, Venice Biennale (exhibition talk, tours)