David Hickson uses sculpture, photography and drawing to research concepts expressed in figuration and abstraction

Artist statement from recent exhibtion WHIMSICAL / SERIOUSLY at Robin Gibson Gallery

These works are constructions using found timbers and recycled offcuts from various sources. The subject matter is the natural world, but also its interaction with people and the built environment. Living on the NSW Northcoast I feel inextricably linked with the natural world – whether it is flood, fire, erosion from storm surges, drought, or just the prevalence of wild life, farm animals, waterfalls, bush, canefields, mountains, rivers and lakes. These works might feel whimsical – but really they are about taking whimsy seriously, trying to pay attention to the things that may not feel so important, but are probably the most important

Born in Aotearoa/New Zealand in 1971, Dave lived in Auckland, Canterbury and Singapore before immigrating to Australia to live in Sydney’s Inner West in 1997. He has lived on the New South Wales Far North Coast since 2008. He majored in sculpture at the National Art School in Sydney, winning the Julian Beaumont Sculpture Prize in 2002, and graduating with honours in 2003.

Qualifications

2002 Bachelor of Fine Arts. Majoring in Sculpture. Winner of the Julian Beaumont Sculpture Prize. National Art School, Sydney
2003 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Honours in Sculpture. National Art School, Sydney

Solo Shows

2021 WHIMSICAL / SERIOUSLY Robin Gibson Gallery
2018 CUBE Byron Shire Council, mini solo exhibition, Mullumbimby, NSW
2014 CUBE Byron Shire Council, mini solo exhibition, Mullumbimby, NSW
2013 New York, Barcelona Murwillumbah, at Tweed Regional Gallery, Murwillumbah, NSW. Dave travelled to Spain, Singapore and the USA in 2012. Photos and drawings from this trip and sculptures inspired by these images, and by the architectural landscape of the Northern Rivers were in this show.

Selected Group Shows/Commissions

2020 (October) JADA – Jacaranda Acquisative Drawing Award – selected as a finalist. Grafton Regional Gallery, NSW
2020 “Post Normal” a collaborative project, run as an at-home residency with Lismore Quad and Lismore Regional Gallery
2020 Border Art Prize exhibitor, Tweed Regional Gallery, Murwillumbah (online exhibition and catalogue due due to COVID19)
2020 Tom Bass Figurative Sculpture Prize – finalist. Juniper Hall, Paddington, Sydney, NSW
2019 Salaam Fundraising Exhibition, Grafton Regional Gallery (curator and exhibitor), Grafton, NSW
2018 Swell Sculpture Festival, finalist. Exhibited at Currumbin Beach, QLD
2018 Border Art Prize, Tweed Regional Gallery/MART space, Murwillumbah
2016 Swell Sculpture Festival, Currumbin, QLD
2016 June – Border Art Prize, Tweed Regional Gallery, NSW
2015 Swell Sculpture Festival, Currumbin beach, QLD
2014 Border Art Prize Finalist and winner of a Shirley Kennedy Award at Tweed Regional Gallery
2013 Swell Sculpture Festival, Currumbin Beach, QLD (Including the indoor show at Way of Design Gallery)
2013 The Northern Rivers Portrait Prize – Lismore Regional Gallery. Finalist.
2012-2013 The Border Art Prize, Tweed River Art Gallery finalist. Winner of a Shirley Kennedy Encouragement Award.
2012 Swell 2012 – Swell Sculpture Festival, Currumbin Beach QLD
2011 A number of my works are now part of the Sydney University Collection,
Bequeathed by Roddy Meagher
2011 “Love” Commission in memory of Roddy Meagher for Richard Weinstein
2011 Defiance Gallery, Miniature Sculpture Show, Newtown Sydney
2011 Olive Cotton Photography Prize Tweed River Art Gallery – Finalist
2010 Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, Melbourne, Hard Rubbish Show
2009 S.H. Ervin Gallery, Salon Des Refuses, Finalist
2009 Hardware Gallery, Bushwhacked, Enmore, Sydney
2009 Hardware Gallery, Time Show, Enmore, Sydney
2008 Hardware Gallery, Google Show, Enmore, Sydney
2008 King Street Gallery on William, Compositions, Darlinghurst, Sydney
2007 ATVP, Marrickville Art Prize finalist, Newtown, Sydney
2007 Hardware Gallery, Unintended Consequences Drawing Show, Enmore, Sydney
2006 Mary Place Gallery, ‘Transitions’ Paddington, Sydney
2006 Thistle for Didier – A sculpture commissioned for the Meagher collection in Bowral, NSW Southern Highlands
2005 Willoughby Art Prize finalist, Chatswood, Sydney
2004 Defiance Gallery, Miniature Sculpture Show, Newtown, Sydney
2004 New Contemporaries Gallery Must Go Show, QVB, Sydney
2004 Robin Gibson Gallery, Darlinghurst, Sydney – Sculpture XVI
2004 James Harvey Gallery, Clovelly, Sydney.Touch Wood, Sculpture 2004
2003 Defiance Gallery, Miniature Sculpture Show, Newtown, Sydney
2003 New Contemporaries, Sculpture, QVB, Sydney
2003 Robin Gibson Gallery, Darlinghurst, Sydney

Collections

Bundanon Trust, Illaroo, NSW

Shoalhaven City Regional Gallery, NSW. M G Dingle & G B Hughes Collection

Sydney University Art Gallery, NSW. Roddy Meagher Collection

Richard Weinstein Collection, NSW. Vogue Apartments article.

Awards

2020 At-home artist in residence collaboration – Post Normal. Awarded by the Lismore Quad and Lismore Regional Gallery (During COVID lockdown May – June)
2016 Winner of the 3D section of the CASE Postcard Show, Artpiece Gallery, Mullumbimby, NSW
2015 Winner of 2nd prize in the mixed media section of the Ocean Shores Art Expo.
2014 Winner of a Shirley Kennedy Award in the Border Art Prize at Tweed Regional Gallery.
2012-13 Winner of the Shirley Kennedy Encouragement Award as part of the Border Art Prize Tweed Regional Gallery
2010-11 Artist in Schools Program NSWDET – Awarded a grant to be an artist in residence at Crabbes Creek Public School teaching mural painting and stopmotion-animation.
2009 Winner, Waywood Gallery, “Wish You Were Here” Art Prize
2003 Artist in Residence. Arthur Boyd’s Bundanon, Illaroo, NSW
2002 Winner, Julian Beaumont Sculpture Prize for an outstanding body of work in sculpture, National Art School Degree Show.
2002 Joint winner of the Robin Gibson Gallery Exhibition Award