Born 1924 in Murrumbeena, David Boyd is an extremely gifted artist and craftsman. He is equally well-known as a superb ceramic artist and painter. His early paintings were full of social comment and created controversy. His Explorer Series depicted Aborigines as gentle frightened

David Boyd played a significant part in the Antipodean group/movement in Australian Art history. The group was dedicated to the figurative image. The Antipodeans reacted not so much against abstract art, as against the pretentiousness of the many converts to abstract expressionism.

Boyd’s work is full of moral commitment. His paintings are the work of an impassioned humanist. While only in his twenties he had a solid reputation as a painter, potter and ceramic sculptor. Later he became Chairman of the Contemporary Arts Society of Australia. At this time we won an Italian Government Scholarship which allowed him to work and travel in Italy.

Boyd has continually held exhibitions throughout Australia and overseas from the 1950’s onwards.

In 1969 he was invited by the Commonwealth Institute, London to hold a retrospective exhibition.

In the 1970’s Boyd and his family travelled to France where they stayed for one year.

On their return Boyd produced some of this most delightful work, combining angels, aborigines and children dancing through his beloved Australian bush. He exhibited a series of these mythological paintings “Orchard of Heaven”. During the next twenty years he travelled and exhibited overseas and in Australia.    

Boyd’s paints wombat and children from his Europa series have been favourite with the public. The peek-a-boo faces of the children peering out from behind the bushes or palying on the water’s edge fill the viewer’s heart with a warm glow.

His is always true to his thoughts and feelings he remains a distinguished Australian artist.