Dwight Anthony Davis
Painter/Illustrator
From early childhood in Kingston and later growing up in Kellits, rural Clarendon, in Jamaica, Dwight Anthony Davis showed the promise of being an artist. From ordinary everyday items around the countryside, he would craft toys and musical instruments, carvings from local wood - thoughtfully putting all the materials that nature afforded to good creative use.
Dwight’s interest in all things artistic continued through primary school and greatly influenced his secondary education. He majored in arts and quickly mastered the techniques of pencils, charcoal, and oils taught at Kellits Secondary School. So impressive were his creations, he
entered the 1978 Jamaica Cultural Development Corporation (JCDC) art competition where one of his sculptures was a prize winner. Through-
out his school years, he won many poster design competitions executing his expertise with pencils, charcoal, and oils.
He later started a business, achieving high demand, crafting custom handbags, wallets and sandals, made to the highest standard. In 1985 he started his studies in art education at the Mico Teachers College, Jamaica. He excelled in his studies and began teaching art in Jamaica's school system for the next six years.
After migrating to the US in 1991, Dwight studied commercial Illustration at Columbia College, Chicago, and has been working as an art teacher in the Chicago public school system since 1994. Through teaching color-theory techniques to his high school students came the inspiration to develop his first painting series. His approach was to design abstracts and experiment with oils, acrylics and pencils. Since the early nineties, on occasions, he has been commissioned to develop oil portraits and linoleum block prints. As a painter, at Art Guilds around the city of Chicago, he’s developed a passion for painting nudes using oils on canvas as his medium.
Dwight Anthony Davis, an all-round artist and craftsman is also a singer/songwriter whose first album is due to be released soon.
Night Out
Acrylics on Canvas
(prints available now)
Glimpses of a young lady. Make up, jewelry, adorned from head to toe. This abstract reflects the essence
of seduction, as the young lady pre-pares for a night out on the town in anticipation of being the main attraction.
Watermelon Man
Oils on Canvas
(prints available now)
The Watermelon Man has skillfully stacked his load just out of the way of passers-by but within easy reach for sale. In the shade of his rough shelter the vendor enjoys the great weather and a chat. A kaleidoscope of colors emerges from the stereo-typical blue Caribbean sky piled with fluffy clouds to the greens of the watermelons and turf and the sun burned wall topped with barbed wire and laced with colorful graffiti extolling the virtues of the heroes of the day Martin Luther King Jr., Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X - and the popular Stone Love disco in
the background.
Baby Raina
Acrylics on Canvas
(prints available now)
A vision of things to come. Inspired by the imminent birth of daughter Raina, this abstract captures the mysteries of the female body in the fullness of pregnancy. Woman, a subject of the universe on the brink of presenting new life to the universe.
Resurrection
Acrylics on Canvas
(prints available now)
Woman’s triumph over adversity symbolised through festive dance.
Water Pails
Oils on Canvas
(prints available now)
Once a common scene in rural Jamaica, many adults and children shared the chore of fetching water from streams or rivers. With perfect pos-tures, easy strides and water pails balanced on their heads the trip to and from the water source was a time for conversations, storytelling and bonding. A sense of calm and relaxation emanates from the lush vegetation.
Pink Nude
Oils on Canvas
(prints available now)
The anticipation of intimate joy. A female form juxtaposed on a brightly colored geometric background. The feeling is electric and in full bloom, identity withheld.