David Nicholson (b. 1970, Montreal) is a self-taught painter whose work draws on the techniques and aesthetics of the Old Masters while addressing distinctly contemporary themes. Influenced by artists such as Rubens, Klimt and Schiele, he transposes elements from historical painting into unsettling, psychologically charged scenes that probe ideals of beauty, sexuality and the mediated image. His compositions often combine virtuoso rendering with a subtle sense of disquiet, suggesting narratives that remain open and ambiguous. Nicholson’s work has been shown in solo exhibitions at Galerie Michael Haas in Berlin and AEROPLASTICS in Brussels, and in numerous group shows across Europe and North America, including Somerset House in London, the Museum der bildenden Künste in Leipzig and the Centre of Contemporary Art in Toruń. He lives and works between Berlin and New York.
