David McKay Artist Profile

David McKay (b. Sydney) is a painter, illustrator, fabric designer and film maker.

His most recent work - a series of botanicals and landscapes in his native Australia painted in reverse on clear plexi-glass panels has been successfully received.

For a number of years he lived in California, which had a profound influence on his work, expanding his love of landscape and botanicals, and broadening his natural references to include a series of Californian desert and coastal landscapes.

From his first solo show at Hogarth Galleries, based on vintage post cards from Sydney, he has successfully combined a career as an exhibiting artist with that of a Production Designer and Director in both the Australian and international film industries.

David was also in the legendary surfwear label, Mambo’s original stable of artists. 

His work been influenced by his extensive travels particularly in Mexico, Africa and Japan and been involved in many group and solo exhibitions in Australia , Japan, USA, England and Europe. He has also conceived and had published an illustrated cookbook with his chef sister, Kirsten McKay and writer Anna Johnson, titled ‘The Cosmic Feast’, a lighthearted approach to cooking and seduction based on astrology.  His paintings have been extensively collected privately and publicly, most notably his ‘Waratah’ is part of the NSW Parliament House permanent collection.
 
Sylistically David  continues his love of colour and vibrancy, depicting everyday objects, in a painterly ‘pop’ manner and on a diverse range of found objects ranging from surfboards to musical instruments.