biography

David Fairbairn was born in Zambia in 1949. He studied at the West Surrey College of Art and the Royal Academy Schools in London. He arrived in Australia in 1981 and in 1987 he moved to Wedderburn south west of Sydney.

He has had many Solo exhibitions including a touring Survey show Lineage – Selected Portraits 1998-2010 hosted by Campbelltown Arts Centre in 2011/2012.

David has participated in numerous Group exhibitions including the tour of Contemporary Australian Drawing (20 years of the Dobell Drawing Prize) hosted by the Art Gallery of NSW in 2013.

Recent major exhibitions include Drawn to Print 2017/18 touring to Tweed, Orange and Coffs Harbour Regional Art Galleries and MAC (Museum of Art and Culture) Lake Macquarie & Drawn Together 2021/22 touring to Grafton and Hawkesbury Regional Galleries.

Participated in Sydney Contemporary Art Fair with Nanda/Hobbs September 2022 & presented a Solo Exhibition at Nanda/Hobbs Sydney ‘A Conversation with Drawing’ in May/June 2023.

Winner of many art prizes including the Dobell Drawing Prize AGNSW in 1999, the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize in 2002, the Kedumba Drawing Award in 2009, the Mosman Art Prize in 2012, Jacaranda Purchase Prize in 2018, & the Muswellbrook Art Prize (Works on paper) in 2022.

Collections include Australian National Gallery and the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

His work is featured in the book Australian Contemporary Drawing # 1 by Janet McKenzie published by Macmillan in 2012.

He was a former sessional lecturer at several art schools and universities primarily at the National Art School, Sydney 1997-2016.

Represented by Nanda/Hobbs Sydney.

Solo Exhibitions (Selected)

2023 - ‘A Conversation with Drawing’ – Nanda/Hobbs Sydney

2021/2022 - Drawn Together – touring exhibition to Grafton & Hawkesbury Regional Galleries

2017/18 - Drawn to Print - touring exhibition to Tweed, MAC (Museum of Art & Culture) Lake Macquarie, Orange & Coffs Harbour Regional Art Galleries

2016 - Overview - Stella Downer Fine Art Sydney

2014 - Drawing on the Past - Stella Downer Fine Art Sydney

2013 - Encounters - King St. Gallery on William Sydney

2012 - Sight-Line - James Makin Gallery Melbourne

2011/12 - Lineage - Selected Portraits - 1998-2010. Hosted by Campbelltown Arts Centre. A survey show touring to Orange, Goulburn, Maitland, Mosman, Caloundra & Coffs Harbour Regional Art Galleries

2011 - Insight - Stella Downer Fine Art Sydney

2010 - Contour - James Makin Gallery Melbourne

2009 - Captured - Stella Downer Fine Art Sydney

2007 - Marking Time - Stella Downer Fine Art Sydney

2005 - Headline - Stella Downer Fine Art Sydney

2003 - Overdraft - Stella Downer Fine Art Sydney

2001 - Tableau - Mary Place Gallery Sydney

2000 - Headstrong - Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre

1999 - Engraven Images - Mary Place Gallery Sydney

1997 - Scratching the Surface - Mary Place Gallery Sydney

1995 - Visage - Crawford Gallery Sydney

1993 - Wedderburn Pathways & Platforms - Crawford Gallery Sydney

1988 - Malevolent Head & the Landscape - DC Art Sydney

1986 - Portraits from Africa - Hogarth Galleries Sydney

1984 - Familiar Faces - Mori Gallery Sydney

1981 - David Reid’s Gallery Sydney

Group Exhibitions (Selected)

2023 - 'Vibrations in Australian Drawing' - Macquarie University Gallery & tour to Cowra Regional Art Gallery in  2024

2023 - ‘Salon des Refuses’ - S.H. Ervin Gallery Sydney

2022 - JADA - Grafton Regional Gallery

2022 - Sydney Contemporary Art Fair with Nanda/Hobbs

2022 - Grace Cossington Smith Art Award - G.C.S. Gallery Sydney

2019/21 - Dobell Drawing Prize - National Art School Gallery

2008/09/10/11/12 - Dobell Drawing Prize - AGNSW

2004/06/14/17/20/21 - Salon des Refuses S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney

2006/19/21 - Kilgour Figurative Painting Prize, Newcastle Regional Art Gallery

2020 - Taiwan-Australia International Watercolour Exhibition, Dadun Cultural Centre, Taichung City

2020 - Calleen Art Award, Cowra Regional Art Gallery

2018/20 - JADA - Grafton Regional Gallery

2017/19 - Peebles Print Prize, Queenscliff Gallery, Victoria

2018 - Freemantle Print Award - Freemantle Arts Centre

2018 - Copper - Casula Power House Arts Centre

2016/17/18/22 - Adelaide Perry Prize for Drawing - Adelaide Perry Gallery Sydney

2017 - Paper Contemporary - Sydney Contemporary Art Fair

2017 - Australasian Painters 2007-17 Orange Regional Gallery (10th Anniversary Artist Profile Magazine)

2002/13/17 - Doug Moran National Portrait Prize Juniper Hall Sydney and Tour

2016 - The Gorge - Campbelltown Arts Centre Sydney

00/02/03/12/16 - Archibald Prize Exhibition AGNSW

1997/1999/2016 - Biennale Spring Festival of Drawing & National Works On Paper Award - Mornington Peninsula Regional Art Gallery

2012/14/16 - Rick Amor Drawing Prize Montsalvat Victoria

2010/12/16/22 - Paul Guest Drawing Prize Bendigo Art Gallery Victoria

2013 - Contemporary Australian Drawing (20yrs of the Dobell Drawing Prize) Travelling Exhibition hosted by the AGNSW

2010 - In (two) art Maitland Regional Art Gallery & Tour

2010 - Melbourne Art Fair James Makin Gallery Victoria

1997/03/09 - Kedumba Drawing Prize Blue Mountains Grammar School

2009 - Banyule Works on Paper Award Banyule Arts Space Melbourne

2004 - Redlands Invitational Art Award Mosman Art Gallery

2003/04 - International Contemporary Drawing Exhibition touring to Central Academy of Arts Beijing, Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts & Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, China

2001/03 - Hazelhurst Art on Paper Award - Hazelhurst Regional Gallery Sydney

2003 - Love Letter to China (Drawings by 35 artists) - Ivan Dougherty Gallery

2003 - Dobell Prize for Drawing: First Ten Years 1993-2002 AGNSW

2000 - Common Ground Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney (Archer, Cummings, Fairbairn & Peart)

1998 - Six from Wedderburn - Casula Power House Arts Centre

1995 - King of the Accordion - New England Regional Art Museum and Tour

Prizes & Awards (Selected)

2022 - Muswellbrook Art Prize (Works on paper)

2018 - Jacaranda Purchase Prize Grafton Regional Gallery

2014 - Redgate Gallery Residency Beijing China

2012 - The Mosman Art Prize

2012 - Sunshine Coast Art Prize & Residency

2012/17 - Australia Print Council Commission

2009 - Kedumba Drawing Award

2007 - Willoughby Art Prize (Works on paper)

2006 - Calleen Acquisition Prize, Cowra Art Gallery

2003 - Art on the Rocks Prize

2002 - Doug Moran National Portrait Prize

1999 - Dobell Drawing Prize AGNSW

Collections Represented (Selected)

Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre

Campbelltown Arts Centre

Print Council of Australia Archive

University of Western Sydney

Mosman Art Gallery

Tweed Regional Art Gallery

Coffs Harbour Regional Art Gallery

Maitland Regional Art Gallery

Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery

Orange Regional Art Gallery

Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority

Doug Moran Art Foundation Collection

Art Gallery New South Wales

Grafton Regional Art Gallery

Hawkesbury Regional Art Gallery

National Arts School

Kedumba Drawing Collection

Charles Sturt University

The Heide Museum of Modern Art

Faber-Castell Drawing Collection

University of New England

Australian National Gallery

New England Regional Art Museum

Wollongong University Collection

State Bank

Latrobe Valley Arts Centre

Gold Coast City Art Gallery

Art Gallery of S.A

Bibliography (Selected)

2023 - Preview “A Conversation with Drawing” - Nanda/Hobbs Sydney Art Collector Magazine (April 2023)

2023 - Catalogue “A Conversation with Drawing” - Nanda/Hobbs Sydney

2021/22 - Catalogue “Drawn Together” Touring Exhibition

2019/21 - Dobell Drawing Prize #21 / #22, Catalogue, National Art School Gallery

2020 - Calleen Art Award, Catalogue, Cowra Regional Art Gallery

2018/20 - Catalogue: JADA Grafton Regional Gallery

2018/21 - Catalogue: Grace Cossington Smith Art Award

2017 - Catalogue: "Drawn To Print" Touring Exhibition of Large Scale Copper Etchings & Drawings

2002/13/17 - Catalogue: Doug Moran National Portrait Prize

2017 - Artist Profile, Issue 39, "Painters who Print" Essay by Natalie Wadwell

2016 - "Printed in Australia" by Michelle Perry published by 10 Group Sydney

2012 - Article: "Biting the Line" Imprint Magazine Volume 47 (Autumn 2012)

2012 - Catalogue: "20 Years of the Dobell Drawing Prize" AGNSW

2012 - "Australian Contemporary Drawing" by Janet McKenzie Publisher Macmillan

2011 - Catalogue: "Lineage - Selected Portraits 1998-2010" A CAC Touring Exhibition

2010 - Catalogue: "In (Two) Art" Maitland Regional Art Gallery

2008 - Artist Profile: Issue 5 Article by Prue Gibson

2005 - "Australian Contemporary Painting" Shanghai Peoples Fine Arts Publishing House

2003 - Catalogue: "International Contemporary Drawing Art Exhibition" Touring to Central Academy of Art Beijing, Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts & Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts China

2003 - Catalogue: "Dobell Prize for Drawing: First Ten Years 1993-2002" AGNSW

2002 - Art & Australia, Summer Vol 40 No 2 "Common Ground- Four Wedderburn Painters"

2000 - Catalogue: "Headstrong" Casula Power House Arts Centre

2000 - Catalogue: "Hand over Hand" Campbelltown Arts Centre

2000 - Catalogue: "Common Ground" Ivan Dougherty Gallery (Archer, Cummings, Fairbairn, Peart)

1998 - Catalogue: "Six from Wedderburn" Casula Power House Arts Centre

1995 - Catalogue: "The King of the Accordion" New England Regional Art Museum. Novella by Anna Maria Dell'oso

1990 - "Australian Contemporary Collage & Its Origins" by Arthur McIntyre published by Craftsman House

1988 - "Australian Contemporary Drawing" by Arthur McIntyre. Published by Boolarong Publications

1986 - Catalogue: "Self Image the Immolation Mirage" A satellite Exhibition for the 6th Biennale of Sydney. The Lewers Bequest & Penrith Regional Art Gallery