Philip Davey

Born 1949, Devon, England.

Painter, ceramicist, draughtsman and printmaker Philip Davey was born in England in 1949, arriving in Australia in 1957.

His broad practice incorporates images of urban and natural landscape and figurative narrative works, often inspired by classic Australian texts.

A quick scan of any of the hundreds of artists’ biographies in print will find a common thread in many, of a young person committed to the life of the artist from an early age. But this is not the journey of Philip Davey, not for a lack of interest in creating and making things, but simply due to an ingrained belief that “art was for other people”. Things changed when Philip was encouraged by his wife to explore his innate interest in art, prompting him to embrace the notion that art was a valid pursuit. At 35 years of age, a chance meeting with a professional artist, and an invitation to join plein air excursions, gave Philip’s life new direction and he has become an accomplished and remarkably successful artist in many media over his second 35 years.

— Gavin Fry, Philip Davey The Art of Nature