David Rees

David Rees is a contemporary British portrait artist known for expressive oil paintings that explore identity, emotion and the imperfect beauty of the human face. Working from his studio in Camden, London, David creates striking contemporary portraits characterised by bold colour, gestural brushwork and layered, painterly marks.

His passion for art began at an early age, when weekends were spent drawing heroes and monsters from cartoons and video games. His talent was nurtured throughout school, where he was introduced to different artistic styles and life drawing before receiving an art scholarship to his senior school. During sixth form, he began experimenting with oil paint while studying Art History at A Level, later going on to study History of Art at the University of Nottingham.

Despite his artistic background, David had never initially considered becoming a professional artist. After university, he worked in International Development for charities in Africa, supporting street-involved children, while continuing to draw as a hobby. A visit to an exhibition by artist Andrew Salgado proved to be a turning point. Captivated by Salgado’s large-scale portrait paintings, David decided to leave his career and pursue painting professionally.

He was soon signed by publisher Washington Green and moved to France to dedicate himself to developing his painting practice. During these early years, David experimented extensively with his technique, taking inspiration from artists including Andrew Salgado, Marco Grassi, Harding Mayer and Jimmy Law. He left Washington Green in 2018 to work with independent galleries and has since established his studio in Camden, London.

David’s contemporary portraits are increasingly informed by the Japanese aesthetic philosophy of Wabi-Sabi, which embraces the beauty found in imperfection and transience. This idea is reflected in the raw, expressive quality of his paintings, where visible brushwork, layered colour and imperfect marks become an important part of the finished portrait.

Alongside the visual exploration of the human face, David’s work considers deeper themes of memory, melancholy, regret and mental health. His portraits are deliberately open to interpretation, allowing each viewer to bring their own experiences and emotions to the work.

For David, once a painting leaves the studio, its meaning ultimately belongs to the person looking at it.