>> About
David Collins is a landscape painter who has lived on the Hawkesbury River, NSW, with his partner and fellow artist, Ana Pollak, since 1987. Bushwalking, rowing on the river and painting or drawing from its shores have been the major influences on his work over this time.
Since 1990, David has held 21 solo exhibitions of paintings and drawings and participated in many group exhibitions. He has worked in various locations both within Australia and overseas, including The Kimberley, The Pilbara, Central Australia and France, with residencies in China, Queensland, New Zealand and various locations in NSW.
>> Biographical Notes
1961 > Born, Sydney
1987 - present > Lives & works on the Hawkesbury River, NSW
2011 - 2014 > Part-time Tutor: Painting & Drawing, Sydney Art School
2009 - 2010 > Part-time Tutor: Painting & Drawing, Dept Fine Arts, Hornsby TAFE
1982 > Graduate Diploma of Education, Sydney College of Adv. Ed.
1979 - 1980 > Diploma of Art (Painting), Canberra School of Art
1977 - 1978 > Art Certificate, Hornsby Technical College
>> Solo Exhibitions
2024 > Inland, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2023 > Adrift, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2021 > Stage, Defiance Gallery, Sydney,
2020 > Passage, Stanley Street Gallery, Sydney
2019 > Just Relations, Stanley Street Gallery, Sydney
2018 > The River, Stanley Street Gallery, Sydney
2016 > Recent Work, Stanley Street Gallery, Sydney
2015 > The Pilbara and Beyond, Frances Keevil Gallery, Sydney
2014 > Recent Paintings, Depot Gallery II, Sydney
2012 > Trunkline, The Edge Art Space, Brooklyn, NSW
2012 > A Line Across the River, Depot Gallery II, Sydney
2011 > Wallarobba, Hornsby Shire Council Arts & Cultural Centre, Sydney
2010 > Salt and Sand, The Edge Art Space, Brooklyn, NSW
2006 > Headland, Artarmon Galleries, Sydney
2006 > Artarmon Galleries, Sydney
2004 > Sage Mind Gallery, Lan Zhou, China
2000 > Inland Sea, Artarmon Galleries, Sydney
1996 > Artarmon Galleries, Sydney
1995 > James Harvey Gallery, Sydney
1991 > Ewart Gallery, Sydney
1990 > Ewart Gallery, Sydney
>> Bibliography
2023 > Amber Cresswell Bell: Australian Abstract, Thames & Hudson
2023 > McDonald, John: Plots on the landscape, Sydney Morning Herald, March 25
2021 > McDonald, John: Painted cause with great effect, Sydney Morning Herald, February, 27-28
2020 > Watters, Harley: With The Tide, Art Edit Magazine
2019 > Sharp, Myff: The Hawkesbury, Catalogue Introduction, Grace Cossington Smith Gallery, Sydney
2014 > Yip, Andrew: Recent Paintings, Catalogue Introduction, Depot Gallery II, Sydney
2010 > Whitehead, Anne: Headland, Catalogue Introduction, Artarmon Galleries, Sydney
2008 > Cummings, Elisabeth: Downstream, Catalogue Introduction, Hawkesbury Regional Gallery
2000 > Vidal, Luis: Inland Sea, Catalogue Introduction, Artarmon Galleries, Sydney
>> Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 > Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2023 > Landscape 2023, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2023 > Abstraction, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2023 > Works on Paper, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2022 > Rhythms of the Monaro - with Elisabeth Cummings, Sally Stokes, Belinda Street, Leah Thiessen, Wagner Contemporary, Sydney
2021 > Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Mt Zero - Taravale Exhibition,
Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2020 > Abstract 2020, Defiance Gallery, Sydney
2019 > The Hawkesbury - with Lyndall Beck and Viola Dominello, Grace Cossington Smith Gallery, Sydney
2018 > Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, Carriageworks, Sydney
2017 > On Point, Stanley Street Gallery, Sydney
2017 > Aesthetic Uncertainties - curated by Zara Collins, Stanley Street Gallery, Sydney
2017 > Moment of Light, Grace Cossington Smith Gallery, Sydney
2015 > Drawn Together Painted Apart, Grace Cossington Smith Gallery, Sydney
2015 > Grace Cossington Smith Gallery, Sydney
2013 > Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
2008 > Downstream - with Ana and Jenny Pollak, Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, NSW
2007 > Artarmon Galleries, Sydney, with Robert Griffiths and Donald Ramsay, Sydney
2005 > Artarmon Galleries, Sydney with Georgina Worth, Sydney
2003 > Spinifex and Iron - with Ana Pollak, Artarmon Galleries, Sydney
2001 > Water’s Way - with Robert Griffiths, Artarmon Galleries, Sydney
1996 > James Harvey Gallery, Sydney
>> Awards & Prizes
2024 > Finalist, Korea Australia Arts Foundation Art Award
2024 > Winner, Local Artist Award, Hornsby Art Prize
2023 > Finalist, Calleen Art Award, Cowra Regional Gallery
2023 > Finalist, Grace Cossington Smith Art Award
2022 > Finalist, Calleen Art Award, Cowra Regional Gallery
2021 > Winner, Local Artist Award, Grace Cossington Smith Art Award
2020 > Finalist, Paddington Art Prize,
2019 > Finalist, Korea Australian Arts Foundation Art Award,
2019 > Finalist, Gosford Art Prize,
2018 > Finalist, Calleen Art Award, Cowra Regional Gallery
2018 > Finalist, Korea Australia Arts Foundation Art Award
2016 > Finalist, Korea Australia Arts Foundation Art Award
2016 > Finalist, Grace Cossington Smith Art Award
2015 > Finalist, Korea Australia Arts Foundation Art Award
2015 > Invited Artist, Cossack Art Award, WA
2015 > Finalist, Salon des Refusé, S H Ervin Gallery
2013 > Highly Commended, Wynne Prize, Art Gallery of NSW
2013 > Finalist, Muswellbrook Art Prize, Muswellbrook Regional Gallery
2011 > Winner, Painting Prize, Hornsby Art Prize
2010 > Finalist, Hornsby Art Prize
2005 > Finalist, Salon des Refusé, S H Ervin Gallery
>> Residencies
2023 > Corridor Art Project, Cowra, NSW
2023 > Broken Hill Art Exchange, Broken Hill, NSW
2022 > Skye-Bonnington Residency, Hunter Region, NSW
2022 > Seal Rocks, NSW
2021 > Maffra Residency, Monaro Region
2021 > Kelton Plain, Monaro Region, NSW
2019 > Nock Art Foundation Artist Residency, Queenstown, New Zealand
2019 > Australian Wildlife Conservancy Artist Residency, Mt Zero - Taravale, Qld
2017 > Painting trip to the Midi Pyrenees, France
1993-2006 > Painting trips to Central Australia, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland
2004 > Artist in Residence and Teacher, College of Fine Arts, North West University for Minorities, Lan Zhou, China
>> Collections
Nock Art Foundation