Colin Davidson (artist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Colin Davidson
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| Born | 1968 |
| Nationality | Northern Irish |
Colin Davidson (born 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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Becoming an Artist
Colin Davidson was born in Belfast in 1968. He went to Methodist College Belfast when he was a teenager. Later, he studied at the University of Ulster and finished with top honors in design in 1991.
For a while, he worked in design. But in 1999, he decided to become a full-time painter. Colin is a member of the Royal Ulster Academy, which is a group of important artists. He was even the president of this academy from 2012 to 2015.
Early Artworks
Colin started painting Belfast when he was young. In 2004, he had an exhibition called No Continuing City. It showed big paintings of Belfast from high up.
From 2006 to 2010, he continued painting city scenes. He focused on the reflections you see in city windows.
Famous Portraits
Since 2010, Colin Davidson has mostly painted human faces. His large portraits are now known around the world. He has painted many famous people!
For example, his portraits of actor Brad Pitt, poet Seamus Heaney, and poet Michael Longley are in important art collections. You can find them in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC, the Ulster Museum in Belfast, and the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin.
There's a special display of Colin's work at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast. In 2012, he even showed his art to Queen Elizabeth II and the President of Ireland during their visit to Northern Ireland.
Colin's paintings have been part of the BP Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery in London several times. In 2012, he won the Visitors' Choice Award, which means many people voted for his artwork as their favorite!
In 2015, Time magazine asked Colin to paint German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Her portrait was on the cover of their "Person of the Year" issue.
In 2016, Queen Elizabeth II asked Colin to paint her portrait for Co-operation Ireland. She personally showed the painting to everyone in London in November 2016. That same year, he also painted actor Jamie Dornan.
In 2017, the National Portrait Gallery bought Colin's portrait of singer Ed Sheeran for their collection.
In 2019, former US President Bill Clinton showed his official portrait painted by Colin. This painting is now at the Clinton Foundation in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Jerusalem Project
In 2014, Colin started a new project. He painted twelve people who lived or worked in the city of Jerusalem. These people came from different backgrounds and cultures.
Among them were Jewish, Muslim, and Christian people. There was a politician, a monk, a doctor, someone who worked for peace, a hotel worker, and a person who survived the Holocaust. In 2017, this exhibition traveled to London and New York.
Silent Testimony
In 2015, Colin Davidson created an exhibition called 'Silent Testimony'. It showed portraits of eighteen people. These people all had a shared experience: they had lost loved ones during a difficult time in Northern Ireland's history, known as the Troubles.
This exhibition was shown at the Ulster Museum in Belfast in 2015. After that, it traveled to Paris and Dublin Castle. It was also displayed in Derry in 2018 and in Staffordshire in 2019. In 2018, Colin was invited to show this exhibition and speak at the The United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Awards and Honors
Colin Davidson has received many awards and honors for his art:
- 2021 – He was named as the Chancellor of Ulster University. This is a very important role at the university.
- 2016 – He received an honorary doctorate from Queen's University, Belfast for his amazing work in art.
- 2015 – He was honored by the US/Ireland Alliance in Los Angeles.
- 2012 – He was named the Distinguished Graduate of the Year by the University of Ulster.
- 2012 – He won the BP Portrait Visitors' Choice Award at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
