Colin Davidson (artist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Colin Davidson
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| Born | 1968 |
| Nationality | Northern Irish |
Colin Davidson (born in 1968) is a famous artist from Northern Ireland. He lives and works near Belfast. Colin is known for his amazing, large paintings of people's faces, which have been shown all over the world.
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Colin's Early Life and Learning
Colin Davidson was born in Belfast in 1968. He went to Methodist College Belfast from 1980 to 1987. In 1991, he finished his studies at the University of Ulster. He earned a top degree in design.
After college, Colin worked in design until 1999. That's when he decided to become a full-time painter. He is also a member of the Royal Ulster Academy. He was even the president of this academy from 2012 to 2015.
Early Artworks
Colin started painting Belfast when he was a teenager. This became a big theme in his art around 2004. His exhibition called No Continuing City showed large paintings of Belfast. These pictures were taken from high places, showing the city from above.
From 2006 to 2010, Colin kept painting city scenes. He created artworks based on reflections seen in city windows. These paintings showed how the world looks different in reflections.
Famous Portraits
Since 2010, Colin Davidson has focused on painting human faces. His large-scale head paintings are now famous around the world. He has painted many well-known people.
His portraits of actor Brad Pitt, poet Seamus Heaney, and poet Michael Longley are in important art collections. You can see them at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC, the Ulster Museum in Belfast, and the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin.
There is a special display of Colin's art at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast. In 2012, he showed his work to Queen Elizabeth II and the President of Ireland during their visit.
Colin's paintings have been shown at the BP Portrait Award in London. This is a very important art competition. He won the Visitors' Choice Award in 2012. This award is given based on what people visiting the exhibition like best.
In December 2015, Time magazine asked Colin to paint Angela Merkel. She was the leader of Germany at the time. Her portrait was used for the cover of their "Person of the Year" issue.
In 2016, Colin painted a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II for an organization called Co-operation Ireland. The Queen herself revealed this painting in London in November 2016. That same year, he also painted actor Jamie Dornan.
In 2017, the National Portrait Gallery added Colin's portrait of singer Ed Sheeran to its collection. In 2019, Bill Clinton, a former US President, revealed his official portrait painted by Colin. This painting is now at the Clinton Foundation in Arkansas.
The Jerusalem Project
In 2014, Colin continued his large portrait style with a special project about Jerusalem. He painted twelve different people who lived or worked in the city. These people came from many different backgrounds and cultures.
Among the twelve Jerusalemites were people of different faiths, a politician, a monk, a doctor, and someone who worked for peace. This exhibition traveled to London and New York in 2017.
Silent Testimony Exhibition
In 2015, Colin Davidson created an exhibition called 'Silent Testimony'. This collection of portraits tells the stories of eighteen people. They all experienced loss because of the violence in Northern Ireland. This period of conflict was known as the Troubles.
The exhibition was shown at the Ulster Museum in Belfast in 2015. It then traveled to Paris and Dublin Castle. In 2018, it was displayed in Derry and in 2019 at The National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. In 2018, Colin was invited to show his exhibition and speak at the The United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Awards and Special Honors
Colin Davidson has received many awards and honors for his amazing art:
- 2021 – He was named the Chancellor of Ulster University. This is a very important leadership role at the university.
- 2016 – He received an honorary doctorate from Queen's University, Belfast. This was for his excellent work in art.
- 2015 – He was honored by the US/Ireland Alliance in Los Angeles.
- 2012 – He received the Distinguished Graduate of the Year Award from the University of Ulster.
- 2012 – He won the BP Portrait Visitors' Choice Award at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
