Dave Smith

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Dave Smith creates realist paintings of surrealist subject matter, making for a surprising and globally recognised body of work.

Dave’s paintings are imbued with photo-realist and neo-pop overtones, and filled with American and Carribean iconography.

Dave was one of 11 artists featured in the critically acclaimed 2008 documentary film, ‘Artists of The Bahamas’.

Originally from Derbyshire, England, Dave Smith is a contemporary painter who stands out for his hybrid surrealist-realist paintings. Dave paints a discombobulating assortment of American iconography with a photo-realist hand. His paintings of weird and wonderful worlds could be photographs, if not for the flying pizzas and gigantic fortune cookies.

Dave Smith’s Early Career and Style

Dave Smith studied painting at Derby College of Art (now University of Derby) and Hornsey College of Art (now Middlesex University). After some part-time teaching in art schools, he formed the Shoreditch art collective Electric Colour Company. In 1973, he left England for the Bahamas where he embarked on a prolific period of painting with photo-realist and neo-pop overtones. His original graphic colour palette and meticulous detail abides in much of his work today, contributing to an electric, humorous and painstaking portfolio.

Exhibitions, Press and Accolades

Dave has exhibited his work in several solo and group shows in Nassau and Miami, Florida. During his time living in the Bahamas, he was one of 11 artists featured in 'Artists of the Bahamas', a 2008 documentary feature film about the key artists who contributed to the initial art movement there. His most recent solo show was at the D'Aguilar Art Foundation in Nassau in 2016. He has more recently participated in two separate group shows in the Los Angeles area, looking at British artists working in Southern California. He is now based and works in Los Angeles.