About

David Roberts, (born 1986 in Kenya) is a painter, draftsman and printmaker. Inspired by the dramatic landscapes and wild spaces of his childhood, David’s artworks focus on the fleeting patterns, light and interactions of the natural world.

Graduating from the University for the Creative Arts in the UK, David moved to Florence in 2008 to study Fine Art at Firenze Arti Visive, Italy. From 2011 he studied at the Pratt Fine Arts Center and the Gage Academy of Art, in Seattle, USA.

This formal training in drawing, painting, printing and other mediums, like pin-hole photography and encaustic wax painting, laid the foundations for the growth of his meticulous and unique methods.

Returning to Kenya in 2013, David says of that time: “I’ve always loved the effect of printmaking, utilizing layering to create. So I started mixing papers, paints and inks in layers, then finishing the painting in an encaustic wax medium. Here, some colours darkened, some were lightened. Some layers will hide, some will reveal themselves, creating the effect of natural light and vast open space.”

Growing up on the shores of Lake Baringo, one of the Great Rift Valley lakes, David’s family works alongside local communities to help them adapt to a changing environment. This backdrop is ingrained in the simple lines, luminosity and beauty of his textured and tactile work.

David’s work is connected to the environment not only in its subject matter, but also in its materials. The beeswax integral to creating his unique effect of light and depth is sourced from local women’s cooperatives which manage the beehives - communities with whom David spent his childhood.