you'll be the death of me... (*divine spark*)
you'll be the death of me... (*divine spark*)
Embedded Files
My practice explores alignment as a counterpoint to contemporary hustle culture and its insistence on constant optimisation, productivity, and external validation. Rather than positioning success as the result of relentless labour or conformity to institutional standards, I am interested in what happens when individuals operate in alignment with their own internal structures: their skills, sensitivities, instincts, and rhythms.
Through painting, drawing, and installation-based thinking, I construct visual systems that reflect psychological states, lived experience, and fragmented perception. These works shift fluidly between figuration and abstraction, forming what I describe as “psychic maps,” “emotional weather reports,” and narrative environments. Within these spaces, characters, symbols, and gestures emerge not as fixed identities, but as evolving forms shaped by intuition, memory, and process.
By resisting external definitions of value within education, labour, and the creative industries, my work proposes an alternative framework: that individuals thrive when they recognise their inherent inclinations and develop them with honesty rather than forcing themselves into systems that may not accommodate them. In this sense, the work becomes both personal and critical, examining how structures of expectation shape self-perception while also proposing alternative ways of being and making.
Ultimately, I am interested in building visual worlds that prioritise internal coherence over external approval. My work asks what becomes possible when we stop performing who we are supposed to be and instead follow what we are naturally drawn toward.
Before You Read
Before You Read
These writings are not instructions, self-help, or rules to live by.
They're simply trains of thought, observations that have emerged through my own practice, conversations, and the lives of people I've admired. They aren't attempts to tell you what you should do, nor are they promises that one way of living guarantees success, happiness, or recognition.
Instead, they're invitations to look a little closer and use as a tool for self-reflection and deeper thought.
Some ideas may resonate with you. Others may not. That's perfectly fine.
If there's one thread that runs through these reflections, it's a curiosity about alignment: what happens when people stop performing who they think they should be and begin paying closer attention to who they already are.
These essays don't offer answers. They're simply an attempt to ask better questions.
—
David
July 2026
CV / History & Portfolio
CV / History & Portfolio
Upcoming
Upcoming
2026 Feet First Fair, Milan, Italy
Residencies
Residencies
2025 Artist in Residence, Jelly Studios, Reading, UK
Public Collections
Public Collections
2025 University of Reading (Russell Building Collection), UK
Solo Exhibitions
Solo Exhibitions
2025 The Biscuit Factory, Reading, UK
2025 Connect Reading, Reading, UK
2025 Milk, Reading, UK
2025 Nylon, Reading, UK
Selected Group Exhibitions
Selected Group Exhibitions
2026 Headspace, Open for Art Festival, Turbine House at Riverside Museum, Reading, UK (Co-Curator & Concept Lead)
2025 Subject Matters, Comewell’s, London, UK
2025 CHEEKY LONDON 25: Launchpad, Tradestars Islington (Official Partner of London Design Festival), London, UK
2025 The London Gathering, The Holy Art Gallery, London, UK
2025 Finalist, Art Collide: Dreamscapes International Exhibition (Virtual)
2025 Brighter Futures Exhibition, Reading, UK
2025 June Art Market, The Rising Sun Arts Centre, Reading, UK
2024 Black History Month Exhibition, University of Reading, UK
2024 Young Creatives Showcase, Open for Art Festival, Jelly Studios, Reading, UK
Projects & Workshops
Projects & Workshops
2026–Present Community Art Space Facilitator, Jelly Studios, Reading, UK
Facilitating monthly public open studio sessions, supporting participants in studio-based making, and encouraging informal artistic development within the local community.
2025–Present Rotational Site-Specific Exhibition, Ebb & Flow Apartments, Reading, UK
Maintaining an active, evolving installation of contemporary paintings within the public lobby, rotating original works to activate the architectural space and engage the local community.
2025 Lead Artist, Ziggy Played Guitar Workshop, Jelly Studios, Reading, UK
Talks & Media
Talks & Media
2025 Featured Artist, Voices of The Undefined Exhibition Catalogue, Art Evol at Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
2025 Video Feature & Artist Presentation, Pride of Reading Awards, Reading, UK
2025 Artist Talk, Ziggy Played Guitar, Jelly Studios, Reading, UK
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