Colin Davidson

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. 

Davidson’s paintings of cityscapes and urban window reflections are in many high profile collections worldwide.

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).

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 recent 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.

"For me to have been part of exposing potentially millions of people to their stories is a privilege."

Colin Davidson

In December 2015 he was commissioned by TIME Magazine to paint the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, for the cover for 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.

  • awards

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

  • solo exhibitions

    2019 'Silent Testimony', National Memorial Arboretum, UK
    2019 'Ed Sheeran - Portraits by Colin Davidson', Ipswich
    2018 'Silent Testimony', United Nations Headquarters, New York
    2018 'Silent Testimony', Nerve Visual, Derry
    2017 'Silent Testimony', Dublin Castle, Dublin
    2017 'Jerusalem', Fitzroy Square, London
    2017 'Jerusalem', 92nd Street Y, New York
    2016 'Reflected Gleams', Irish Arts Center, New York
    2016 '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
    2004 '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

Explore more of Colin Davidson’s sculpture and portrait works

COLIN DAVIDSON’S PORTFOLIO