Amavia Exhibition

David Murphy’s abstract paintings showcase the artist’s strong interest in the shape and dimensions of living and natural forms. A thread runs throughout Murphy’s production where the artist concerns himself with the workings of woven textiles and how these can be harnessed and enlarged to investigate features of natural landscapes, geology and topography. His Long Ending paintings are made with an etching needle with which he scratches the painting’s surface as if he was guiding a path in the landscape, almost like ploughing a field. By scratching onto painted gesso Murphy is creating a visual illusion: the viewer can see depth but looking at it more closely it is a flat two-dimensional board. The curved lines appear in the work overpowering the chosen materials and physical boundaries.

David Murphy (b. 1983, Newcastle Upon Tyne) studied at the Glasgow School of Art (2006) and currently lives and works in London. He is the recipient of the Kenneth Armitage Foundation Fellowship, London (2015-2017), completed a residency with the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (2014), and was shortlisted for the John Moores Painting Prize (2016) and the Jerwood Drawing Prize (2017).

Murphy has worked on large-scale commissions for the National Trust, UK (2020); The Dales Museum, UK (2016); Edinburgh Sculpture Workshops UK (2015) and The Blanket at the Piece Hall in Halifax, UK (2019).

His new projects include two permanent installations for Oxford House, Oxford Street, London (with Great Portland Estates) and the Harlow Arts Trust, Essex, both unveiled in September 2021.

Recent exhibitions include ALMA ZEVI London, UK (2021); Stephane Simoens Contemporary Fine Art, Knokke, Belgium (2021); New Art Centre, Roche Court, Wiltshire (2020); Bartha Contemporary, London (2020); Yorkshire Sculpture Park (2019); ALMA ZEVI Venice, Italy (2019); British Council, Cairo (2016); Galleria Monica de Cardenas, Milan (2015); New Arts Centre, Roche Court, Wiltshire (2016), PEER, London (2014).