David Hinchliffe

David Hinchliffe trained under Brisbane artist, John Rigby, painting as a teenager with contemporaries Tomas McAulay and Rex Backhaus Smith and also studied under premier Australian landscape artist and Archibald prize-winner, William Robinson at the University of Southern Queensland.

In the 1970’s David furthered his artistic study in New York, Paris and London in the 70s painting portrait commissions until he returned home to pursue a career in politics. Amongst many others, his portraits include the poet Bruce Dawe, former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, businessman Sir Alex McKay and the renowned actor John Malkovich.

Exhibiting regularly in Australia, Hong Kong and New York, Hinchliffe’s international exhibitions include Harrods of London; Store Street Gallery, London; the Village Art Gallery, New York City; Greenwich Village; the Australian Consulate and Michael Ingbar Gallery Broadway. His numerous awards include Gemini Art Award in Toowoomba, the Sunday Mail Art Award in Brisbane, The ABC Argonauts Award and the Rotary Atlantic City Sculpture Award in the USA.

Working principally in oils on canvas, the focus of Hinchliffe’s work is recording the light, shapes and movement of city streets. Using a restricted palette he deftly captures light, shade, form and movement. Favourite painting locations include New York, Paris, London, Buenos Aires, Havana, Rome and Venice, as well as his hometown of Brisbane.  While his work is principally oils on canvas or linen, Hinchliffe has also produced many gouache works and sculptures.

Described by the late James Gleeson as having an "exceptional talent", the artist's career in urban government influences his paintings as he draws inspiration from the streets, laneways, footpaths and urban settings of the cities he loves – London, Paris, New York, Venice, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Sydney and particularly his Using a restrict3d hometown Brisbane.

As well as numerous solo and joint exhibitions around the world, Hinchliffe has also had photographic exhibitions including in the ‘Here and Now’ exhibition on refugees at Brisbane City Hall in February 2003 and for the book ‘Faces of Chinatown’ in January 2012 and his work has featured in such publications as "Detours" (2012), ‘The Reconstruction Gang’, "Two to the Valley" (1991) (which won the 1992 Australian Photographic Book Award) and 'Toowoomba Sketchbook' (1976, Rigby Publishers).

Hinchliffe is represented by galleries internationally and nationally in London, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brisbane, Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast and his works are held in numerous private collections throughout Australia and overseas, particularly the United States and Europe.

“I particularly enjoy the shapes, the noise and the shadows of city landscapes whether it’s the drama of lower East Side in New York, the reflections in the canals of Venice, the romance of Paris streets, the quirky laneways of Melbourne, the crowded pedestrian footpaths of Brisbane city, or the treed streets near my home”.