About

David Kirkman is an internationally selling abstract artist known for bold, immersive mixed-media paintings. His work is a raw, expressive response to life—balancing energy, spontaneity, and emotion. Each piece dives into contrast: freedom and overwhelm, joy and contemplation, chaos and calm.

As a neurodivergent artist (AuDHD), David experiences the world with intensity—fast thoughts, deep feeling, and a constant hum of internal noise. His process is instinctive and intuitive, guided by emotion rather than a plan. Art becomes his way to pause, to breathe, and to turn inner chaos into colour and texture. Having also navigated his own mental health challenges and inner battles, David creates work that  celebrates what makes us unique—and what makes us human. His paintings are moments of vulnerability transformed into colour, movement, and optimism.

A passionate scuba diver, David draws inspiration from the stillness and freedom found underwater. That sense of surrender, of quiet intensity, flows through his work—inviting you into a space where energy meets calm, and chaos becomes beauty.

“To put yourself at the mercy of the ocean is to feel humbled and free. That’s what I try to capture in paint—emotion through brushstrokes, contrast, and colour.”

Whether underwater or on land, his work reflects the wild beauty of life—a space to feel, reflect, and breathe.

Biography:

David Kirkman (b. 1985) is a self-taught abstract artist based in Leigh-on-Sea, England. Known for his bold, emotionally charged mixed-media paintings, David’s work explores the tension between chaos and calm, freedom and reflection—often drawing on his experiences as a neurodivergent artist.

In just a few years, David has exhibited widely across the UK. His solo shows include Mind Fizz at The Circle Gallery (Ascot), Herding Cats at 142 Gallery (Felixstowe), and Embracing You—a residency exhibition held at Bannatyne Hotel & Spa (Hastings).

 He has also taken part in exhibitions and Art Fairs at venues such as Truman Brewery (London), Rochester Art Fair, The Pie Factory (Margate), The W Gallery (Suffolk), Folkestone Art Gallery, DIG Gallery (Margate), Hype Gallery (Leigh-on-Sea), Liberation Art Gallery (Brighton), Art Space Gallery (Gibraltar), and Bluewater Shopping Centre.

David’s work has been featured in Artist Talk Magazine, Collect Art Magazine, and Haus-a-Rest, and is held in private collections across the UK and Europe.

Galleries stocking my work:

The Circle Gallery, Ascot

Art Space Gallery, Gibraltar

EXHIBITIONS:

2025

Leigh Art Trail - 5th - 3th July 

Residency solo show - Bannantynes hotel and spa, Hastings - 2nd June - 22nd September

'Mind Fizz' Solo show at Circle Gallery, Ascot - Saturday 26th April

Gallery 142 Solo Show - 'Herding Cats' Felixstowe - April 17th - 23rd 

Jan - 30th March Under the Rainbow - Group Show, April-May 2025, Bluewater, Kent

Dec - Feb Southend-on Sea Solo show hosted by David Lloyd's Gym.

2024

Rochester Art Fair - Kent 4th - 6th Oct 

Headcorn Art Fair - Kent - September 2024

Creek Creative Studios Group Show - March 2024

Under the Rainbow - Group Show, April-May 2024, Bluewater, Kent

Leigh Art Trail - July 2024, Leigh-on-sea, Essex

Rochester Art Fair - May 2024, Rochester, Kent

2023

Under The Rainbow- Nov/Dec 2023 Group Show, Bluewater, Kent 

The Pie Factory – October 2023, Group exhibition with DIG Gallery. Margate Kent

Rochester Art Fair, Oct 2023 Corn Exchange Rochester, Kent

New Artist Fair - Sept/Oct 2023 Truman Brewery, London

The W Gallery - Group Show, Woodbridge, Suffolk

Leigh Art Trail, July 2023, Leigh-on-Sea

Leigh Community Centre, Mental Health Charity June/Aug 2023 Group Show, Leigh-on sea 

The Stables Gallery- June 2023, Hall Place, Bexley, Group Show, London

Under the Rainbow- May/June 2023 Group Show, Bluewater, Bluewater, Kent

Holy Art Fair- March April 2023, Oxo Tower London

CREATE 98 - Feb/March 2023, Solo show Leigh-on-sea, Essex

Under The Rainbow - Feb/March 2023, Group Exhibition, Bluewater Kent

Twenty One - Feb 2023, Solo Exhibition at Twenty One, Southend (Focal Art Gallery)

SB Studios - Fed 2023, London – Group Show

Holy Art - Jan 2023, Holy Art Gallery, London – Group Show

2022

Under the Rainbow - Nov/Dec 2022 – Bluewater, Kent Group Show

PUBLICATIONS:

 Artist talk Magazine, 2023 - Issue 25

Collect Art Magazine, 2023 - Volume 18 Love of my life

Collect Art Magazine, 2023 - 101 Contemporary Artists

Haus-a-Rest Magazine, 2023 - Issue 33 Life of Lines