Daniel Boyd (artist) facts for kids

Daniel Boyd (born in 1982) is an Australian artist who creates paintings, sculptures, and art installations. He won the important Bulgari Art Award from the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 2014. He was also a finalist for the famous Archibald Prize in 2022.

Early Life and Art Beginnings

Daniel Boyd was born in 1982 in Cairns, Queensland. He is an indigenous Australian with family connections to many Aboriginal groups, including Kudjala, Ghungalu, and Bundjalung people. He also has heritage from Vanuatu.

Daniel started drawing when he was a child. He used to sell his drawings and paintings of the Great Barrier Reef to tourists. Later, he studied art at the Australian National University School of Art & Design and finished his studies in 2005.

Daniel Boyd's Art Career

Daniel Boyd became well-known for his "No Beard" series, which he started in 2005. These were oil portraits that playfully made fun of important figures from Australia's colonial past.

In 2010, he created a large sculpture called Seven Versions of the Sun. The Queensland Government asked him to make it, and it is now on public display in Kangaroo Point, Brisbane.

Winning the Bulgari Art Award

In 2014, Daniel Boyd became the first Indigenous Australian to win the Bulgari Art Award. He won with his artwork Untitled (PW). This painting showed the sad history of people from Vanuatu being taken to Australia to work. This event is known as Blackbirding.

Major Exhibitions and Recognition

From 2022 to 2023, Daniel Boyd had his first solo exhibition in a major Australian art gallery. It was called Daniel Boyd: Treasure Island and was shown at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The exhibition featured more than 80 of his artworks from nearly 20 years of his career.

In 2022, he was also a finalist for the Archibald Prize. This was for his portrait of the Sydney rap group Onefour.

Art Style and Themes

Daniel Boyd's art often makes fun of the "Eurocentric" (meaning focused on European ideas) way of looking at Australia's history. He sometimes shows famous explorers like James Cook and Arthur Phillip as pirates.

While his early works were mostly oil paintings, many of his later pieces use special "dot-like lenses." These are small, round pieces of different materials that he attaches to his canvases.

Where to See His Art

Daniel Boyd's artworks are held in many important galleries in Australia. These include the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. His work has also been shown internationally at places like the Natural History Museum in London and the Venice Biennale.

Beyond Art: Basketball

Before becoming a full-time artist, Daniel Boyd was a semi-professional basketball player. He played as a shooting guard for the Cairns Marlins in the early 2000s.

Personal Life

Daniel Boyd lives in Marrickville, Sydney, with his partner and their four daughters.

Awards and Nominations

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are big awards given out each year by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). They celebrate the best music in Australia.