Introduction

Colin Davidson is a contemporary artist, living and working near Belfast, Northern Ireland. Since graduating in 1991 from the University of Ulster with a first-class honours degree, he has structured his practice in themes, and since 2010 his focus has been on painting grand scale portraits, which have won widespread recognition and many international awards. As well as numerous commissions, Davidson’s portrait sitters have included Brad Pitt, Ed Sheeran, Liam Neeson, Brian Friel, Sir Kenneth Branagh, Christy Moore, Dame Mary Peters, Gary Lightbody, Marketa Irglova, Glen Hansard, Mark Knopfler and Seamus Heaney. His work is held in many public and corporate collections worldwide, including Queen’s University Belfast, the Ulster Museum (Belfast), Standard Life (London), the National Gallery of Ireland (Dublin), the Standard Chartered Bank of Asia, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery (Washington DC) and the National Portrait Gallery, (London).

Davidson’s exhibition of portrait paintings, entitled ‘Silent Testimony’, reveals the stories of eighteen people who are connected by their individual experiences of loss through the Troubles - a turbulent 30-year period in Northern Ireland from the late 1960s onwards. This critically acclaimed body of work was on show at the Ulster Museum Belfast during 2015, before embarking on a tour which included the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris, Dublin Castle and the United Nations NYC.

In December 2015 he was commissioned by TIME Magazine to paint the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, for the cover of its ‘Person of the Year’ issue. In 2016 Colin Davidson was invited to paint an official portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II, which was unveiled later that year by The Queen in London. In 2019 his official portrait of President Bill Clinton was unveiled by the Past President in New York and in 2020 his portrait of Irish President Michael D Higgins was unveiled in Dublin. A posthumous portrait of John Hume was commissioned by the House of Commons and was unveiled in Westminster in 2022. In 2023, to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, Davidson was commssioned to make a bronze bust of Senator George Mitchell for Queen’s University Belfast.

In 2018, Colin was commissioned by Tourism NI to work on the design and branding for the ‘Embrace a Giant Spirit’ campaign.

Colin was installed as the 6th Chancellor of Ulster University in a ceremony at St Anne’s Cathedral Belfast in 2022.

Colin Davidson

  • 1968 Born Belfast
  • 1980-87 Educated Methodist College Belfast
  • 1987-91 First Class Honours Degree in Design, University of Ulster, Belfast
  • 2003 Elected Associate, Royal Ulster Academy of Arts
  • 2006 Elected Academician, Royal Ulster Academy of Arts
  • 2012-15 President, Royal Ulster Academy of Arts
  • 2016 Honorary Degree (DSSc for distinction in art), Queen’s University Belfast
  • 2017 Elected Honorary Member Royal Society of Ulster Architects
  • 2021 Honorary Degree (Doctor of Fine Art), Ulster University Belfast
  • Appointed Chancellor of Ulster University

Awards

  • 2023Ruth Borchard Self-Portrait Prize, London
  • 2022Royal Hibernian Academy, RCSI Award, Dublin
  • 2021Royal Hibernian Academy, Solomon Gallery Sculpture Prize, Dublin
  • 2019Fergus Ahern Award, Boyle
  • 2015US/Ireland Alliance Oscar Wilde Award, Los Angeles
  • 2012Ulster University Distinguished Graduate of the Year Award, Belfast
  • BP Portrait Visitors’ Choice Award, National Portrait Gallery, London
  • 2011Royal Ulster Academy, Gold Medal, Belfast
  • 2010Royal Hibernian Academy, The Ireland - US Council and Irish Arts
  • Review Portraiture Award, Dublin
  • Royal Ulster Academy, Gold Medal, Belfast
  • 2009Royal Hibernian Academy, Keating/McLoughlin Medal (ESB), Dublin
  • 2007Royal Ulster Academy, Caldwell Prize for Drawing, Belfast
  • 2004Royal Ulster Academy, Gold Medal, Belfast
  • 2002Royal Ulster Academy, Silver Medal, Belfast
  • 2001Royal Ulster Academy, Conor Prize, Belfast
  • 1997Royal Ulster Academy, Silver Medal, Belfast
  • 1994Communication Arts Award, California
  • ICAD Craft Award, Dublin Association of Illustrators, London
  • Winsor & Newton Gold Award, London
  • Creative Review Award, London

Solo Exhibitions

  • 2024-25Silent Testimony, National Portrait Gallery, London
  • 2023Window Self-Portraits, Sotheby's, London
  • Silent Testimony, Irish Arts Center, New York
  • Silent Testimony, Stormont, Belfast
  • 2022Paintings 1986-2022, FE McWilliam Gallery, Banbridge
  • 2021'Silent Testimony', Ulster Museum, Belfast
  • 2019Silent Testimony, National Memorial Arboretum, UK
  • Ed Sheeran - Portraits by Colin Davidson, Ipswich
  • 2018 Silent Testimony, United Nations Headquarters, New York
  • Silent Testimony, Nerve Visual, Derry
  • 2017 Silent Testimony, Dublin Castle, Dublin
  • Jerusalem, Fitzroy Square, London
  • Jerusalem, 92nd Street Y, New York
  • 2016 Reflected Gleams, Irish Arts Center, New York
  • Silent Testimony, Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris
  • 2015 Silent Testimony, Ulster Museum, Belfast
  • 2013 Between The Words, Naughton Gallery, Queen's University, Belfast
  • 2012 Transmission, Dublin
  • 2011 Lyric Theatre Belfast (ongoing)
  • 2009 Tom Caldwell Gallery, Belfast
  • 2007 Window Shopping, Solomon Gallery, Dublin
  • 2006 Inside/Out, Tom Caldwell Gallery, Belfast
  • 2005 Solomon Gallery, Dublin
  • 2004 Gallery Revel, New York
  • No Continuing City, Tom Caldwell Gallery, Belfast
  • 2003 Solomon Gallery, Dublin
  • 2002 Tom Caldwell Gallery, Belfast
  • 2001 Gallery Revel, New York Solomon Gallery, Dublin
  • 2000 Tom Caldwell Gallery, Belfast
  • 1999 Solomon Gallery, Dublin
  • 1998 Straid Gallery, Co Antrim
  • 1997 Tom Caldwell Gallery, Belfast
  • 1993 BBC Belfast

Selected Group Exhibitions

  • 2022Snite Museum, University of Notre Dame, USA
  • CHIMEI Museum, Taiwan
  • National Portrait Gallery of Australia, Canberra
  • 2021Fries Museum, The Netherlands
  • National Museum of Korea, Seoul
  • 2018-National Portrait Gallery, London
  • 2017Stiftung Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik
  • Deutschland, Berlin
  • 2014Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC
  • 2012Royal Academy, London (invited artist)
  • 2011-13BP Portrait Award, National Portrait Gallery, London
  • 1999-Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin
  • 1999-Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast

Collections

Collections

  • Abbey Theatre, Dublin
  • Allied Irish Bank
  • Arts Council of Northern Ireland
  • Bar Library, Belfast
  • British Broadcasting Corporation
  • Boyle Civic Collection
  • Chateau La Coste, France
  • Cobra Golf, USA
  • Department of the Environment NI
  • Department of Finance and Personnel NI
  • Dublin City University
  • Electricity Supply Board, Ireland
  • Embassy of Ireland, London
  • Embassy of Ireland, Washington DC
  • First Trust Bank
  • Garda Headquarters, Dublin
  • Hastings Hotels
  • Hilton Hotels
  • Hillsborough Castle
  • Irish Arts Center, New York
  • The Law Society of Ireland
  • Lyric Theatre, Belfast
  • National Gallery of Ireland
  • National Portrait Gallery, London
  • National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland
  • Northern Ireland Electricity
  • Office of Public Works, Ireland
  • Parliamentary Art Collection, Westminster
  • Parliament Buildings Stormont
  • Queen's University, Belfast
  • Royal Victoria Hospital
  • Ruth Borchard Collection, London
  • Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC
  • Standard Chartered Bank of Asia
  • Standard Life UK
  • Stiftung Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Berlin
  • Ulster Bank Group
  • Ulster Museum Belfast
  • University College Cork
  • University of Galway
  • Wexford County Council

Selected Portrait Sitters
(since 2010)

  • Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
  • President William Jefferson Clinton
  • President Michael D Higgins
  • Lady Mary Peters
  • Lord Kerr
  • Lord Bannside
  • Sir Kenneth Branagh
  • Professor Sir Peter Gregson
  • Michael Longley
  • Simon Callow
  • Barry Douglas
  • Mark Knopfler
  • Marie Jones
  • Martin McGuinness
  • John Hume
  • Loretta Brennan Glucksman
  • Seamus Heaney
  • Paul Muldoon
  • Paddy Moloney
  • Christy Moore
  • Roddy Doyle
  • Thomas Kilroy
  • Edan O'Brien
  • John Montague
  • Ed Sheeran
  • Brad Pitt
  • Bono
  • Liam Neeson
  • Glen Hansard
  • Ciaran Hinds
  • James Nesbitt
  • Neil Hannon
  • Conleth Hill
  • Colum McCann
  • Gary Lightbody
  • Bill Whelan
  • Sinead Morrissey
  • Jennifer Johnston
  • Brian Friel
  • Bronagh Gallagher
  • Basil Blackshaw
  • Gavin Friday
  • Lisa Hannigan
  • Paul Brady
  • Adrian Dunbar
  • David Holmes
  • Eddie Irvine
  • Duke Special
  • Jamie Dornan
  • Oliver Jeffers
  • Joy Gerrard