– Biography –
David Remfry at the Hotel Chelsea, New York. © Dudley Reed / National Portrait Gallery, London
David Remfry was born in Worthing, UK, in 1942. His family moved to Hull and he studied Art and Printmaking at the Hull College of Art. He currently lives and works in London.
Early solo exhibitions include Ferens Art Gallery, Hull in 1974 and Folkestone Art Gallery, Kent in 1976. Since 1973 he has exhibited regularly at galleries and museums across the UK, Europe and the USA. He is perhaps best known for his large-scale watercolours of dancers; his series of drawings and watercolours of his neighbours and friends at the Hotel Chelsea New York City where he lived from 1995-2016, and his commission by designer Stella McCartney to produce a series of drawings for the launch of her fashion house and for Absolut Vodka.
Over the past five decades his work has been exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide, including Boca Raton Museum of Art, Florida; MoMA PS1 Contemporary Art Center, New York; the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; Pallant House Gallery, Chichester; and the DeLand Museum of Art, Florida. In 2014 he was commissioned by Fortnum & Mason, London, to create a series of watercolours which is now on permanent display in Piccadilly, and he was commissioned to paint Sir John Gielgud for the National Portrait Gallery, London, which also acquired for their collection his portrait of Jean Muir.
Remfry was elected a member of the Royal Watercolour Society in 1987. In 2001 he was awarded an MBE for services to British Art in America, in 2006 he was elected a Member of the Royal Academy of Arts and, in 2007, he was invited to receive Honorary Doctorate of Arts by the University of Lincoln. He was awarded the Hugh Casson Drawing Prize at the 2010 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and, in 2016, was appointed Professor of Drawing at the Royal Academy Schools.
His work is included in museum permanent collections including the Bass Museum of Art, Florida; Boca Raton Museum of Art, Florida; the British Museum, London; the Contemporary Art Society, London; the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; Hampshire Cultural Trust; Pallant House Gallery, Chichester; MIMA, Middlesborough; the National Portrait Gallery, London; New Orleans Museum of Art, Louisiana; the Royal Academy of Arts, London; the Royal Watercolour Society, London; Rugby Art Gallery; and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
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2025 Beverley Art Gallery, East Riding
2024 Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate
2023-24 Willis Museum and Sainsbury Gallery, Basingstoke UK
2023 Rugby Art Gallery & Museum, Rugby UK
2023 Usher Gallery, Lincoln UK
2022 Royal Watercolour Society, Whitcomb Street Gallery, London
2020-21 The Lightbox, Woking UK
2016-17 DeLand Museum of Art, Florida
2015 Pallant House Gallery, Chichester UK
2014 Fortnum and Mason, London, permanent site-specific commission
2012 Cock ’n’ Bull Gallery, London
2007 Elaine Baker Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida
2006 Carol Craven Gallery, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
2005 Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, England
2005 Ferens Art Gallery, Hull, England
2004 Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown Ohio
2004 Neuhoff Gallery, New York City
2003 Victoria & Albert Museum, London
2002 Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, Florida
2002 Elaine Baker Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida
2001 P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, New York, Museum of Modern Art affiliate
2001 Neuhoff Gallery, New York City
1999 Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, Florida
1999 Elaine Baker Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida
1999 Neuhoff Gallery, New York City
1997 Lipworth International Art, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
1997 Mercury Gallery, London
1996 Bohun Gallery, Henley-On-Thames, England
1996 Henley Festival of Music and the Arts, Henley-On-Thames, England
1996 Tatistcheff Gallery, New York City
1995 Portal Gallery, Bremen, Germany
1995 Royal Society of Arts, London
1994 Mercury Gallery, London
1994 Old Fire Engine House, Ely, England
1993 Bohun Gallery, Henley-On-Thames, England
1993 Lipworth International Art, Boca Raton, Florida
1993 Portal Gallery, Bremen, Germany
1992 Lipworth International Art, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
1992 Mercury Gallery, London
1992 National Portrait Gallery, London
1992 Old Fire Engine House, Ely, England
1991 Bohun Gallery, Henley-On-Thames, England
1990 Mercury Gallery, London
1990 Old Fire Engine House, Ely, England
1990 Zack Schuster Gallery, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
1988 Mercury Gallery, London, England
1988 Zack Schuster Gallery, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
1987 Ankrum Gallery, Los Angeles
1987 Bohun Gallery, Henley-On-Thames, England
1986 Mercury Gallery, London
1986 Old Fire Engine House, Ely, England
1986 Zack Schuster Gallery, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
1985 Ankrum Gallery, Los Angeles
1985 Bohun Gallery, Henley-On-Thames, England
1984 Mercury Gallery, London
1983 Ankrum Gallery, Los Angeles
1983 Bohun Gallery, Henley-On-Thames, England
1983 Galerie de Beerenburght, Eck en Wiel, Holland
1983 Mercury Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland
1983 Old Fire Engine House, Ely, England
1982 Galerie de Beerenburght, Eck en Wiel, Holland
1982 Mercury Gallery, London
1981 Ankrum Gallery, Los Angeles
1981 Bohun Gallery, Henley-On-Thames, England
1981 Middlesbrough Art Gallery, Middlesbrough, England
1981 Old Fire Engine House, Ely, England
1980 Ankrum Gallery, Los Angeles
1980 Galerie de Beerenburght, Eck en Wiel, Holland
1980 Mercury Gallery, London
1979 Old Fire Engine House, Ely, England
1978 Mercury Gallery, London
1978 Bohun Gallery, Henley-On-Thames, England
1978 Galerie de Beerenburght, Eck en Wiel, Holland
1977 Old Fire Engine House, Ely, England
1976 Folkstone Art Gallery, Kent, England
1975 Ferens Art Gallery, Hull, England
1975 Old Fire Engine House, Ely, England
1974 Editions Graphiques, London
1973 New Grafton Gallery, London
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2024 Book, Royal Academy of Arts, Tango
2022 Book, Royal Academy of Arts, David Remfry Watercolours
2017 Brochure, David Remfry at the Museum of Art - DeLand, Florida. Essay by George Bolge, Director, Museum of Art - DeLand. January 27 - April 9, 2017.
2015 Book, David Remfry: ‘We Think The World of You, People and Dogs Drawn Together’ Essays by Alan Cumming, Mayer Rus, Jeanne Frank, April Barton and David Remfry.
2005 Exhibition catalogue, David Remfry: Dancers at The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, May 22 - September 11, 2005. Essay by Edward Lucie-Smith ‘A Selection of Large Works from the Dancers Series’.
2004 Exhibition catalogue, David Remfry: Paradiso at Neuhoff Gallery, New York City, November 11—December 17, 2004. Essay by Vincent Katz. 'David Remfry’s Emerging Figures'.
2003 Exhibition catalogue, David Remfry Drawings for Stella McCartney, (In hardcover and soft-back) to accompany the exhibition Fashion into Art at the Victoria and Albert Museum, September 3-28, 2003. Introduction by Stella McCartney, David Remfry interviewed by Lance Esplund.
2003 Book, (In hardcover and soft-back) David Remfry Dancers, David Remfry exhibition at the Boca Raton Museum of Art, Florida, November 12, 2002 –-January 12, 2003, touring to the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, England in 2005. Essays by Edward Lucie-Smith, ‘David Remfry Dancers’, Dore Ashton ‘The Dance’ and Carter Ratcliff ‘The Meaning of the Dance, the Dance of Meaning’. Interview with the artist by Alanna Heiss.
2001 Exhibition brochure, David Remfry at P.S.1 Contemporary Arts Center, New York City, Museum of Modern Art Affiliate, October 20, 2001—January 19, 2002. David Remfry interviewed by Alanna Heiss.
2001 Exhibition catalogue, David Remfry at Neuhoff Gallery, New York City, October 11—November 8, 2001. Essay by Robert C. Morgan. ‘Lunar Creatures: New Watercolors by David Remfry.’
1999 Exhibition catalogue, David Remfry at Neuhoff Gallery, New York City, October 20—December 4, 1999. Essay by Phyllis Tuchman, ‘David Remfry, Sleepless City.’
1999 Exhibition catalogue, David Remfry at the Boca Raton Museum of Art, Florida, March 26—May 9, 1999. Essay by George S. Bolge, ‘David Remfry, Personages.’
1996 Festival catalogue, David Remfry, featured artist at The Festival Gallery as part of the Henley Festival, Henley on Thames, England, July 10-13, 1996. Essay by William Packer, ‘David Remfry at Henley.’
1996 Exhibition catalogue, David Remfry at Tatistcheff & Company, New York City, January 30—February 24, 1996. ‘David Remfry, Gotham Nights.’
1994 Exhibition catalogue, David Remfry at Margaret Lipworth International Art, Boca Raton, Florida. December 2, 1993—January 4, 1994. ‘David Remfry, What Makes Us Tick?’
1981 Exhibition brochure, David Remfry, Middlesbrough Art Gallery, May 30 – June 20, 1981.
1976 Exhibition catalogue, David Remfry at Folkstone Art Gallery, Kent, England, March 12—April 18, 1976. Foreword by Marina Vaizey.
1975 Exhibition brochure, David Remfry, Ferens Art Gallery, December 13, 1974 –January 11, 1975.
1974 Exhibition catalogue, David Remfry, Editions Graphiques Gallery, 1974. Essay by Victor Arwas.
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2024 Aisling Grace “David Remfry portrait of Platinum Pudding creator Jemma Melvin unveiled” The Independent and the Standard, 16 January
2023 Fiona McKenzie Johnston “Artists in Their Studio: David Remfry” House and Garden, August
2023 James Cahill “People Person” Royal Academy of Arts Magazine, Summer
2023 Lydia Figes “David Remfry: an artist in search of human connection” Art UK, 26 May
2021 Louise Nicholson “David Remfry at Home and Abroad” Fine Art Connoisseur, April
2020 “‘Hollywood Hounds’ David Remfry’s Drawings of the glitterati and their four-legged friends, The Lightbox” Town and Country, December
2018 Anne-Katrin Purkiss “In the studio with…David Remfry RA” Artists and Illustrators Magazine, Summer
2015 Charlotte Cripps “Well-known actors and their dogs are immortalized in portraits” Independent, 30 October
2015 Marcus Field “David Remfry on his dogs, Sir John Guilgud and turning down a chance to paint Margaret Thatcher” Evening Standard 20 October
2015 Jean Wainwright “David Remfry We Think The World Of You” Pallant House Gallery - Magazine Not 37, September 2016
2014 Sam Phillips “David Remfry on the major turning point in his practice” RA Magazine Autumn
2014 Mick Rooney RA “David Remfry RA’s watercolours at Fortnum and Mason” RA Magazine Online 15 July
2013 Michael Patrick Hearn “Celebrating Lift at The Chelsea Hotel with Painter David Remfry” Studio International, January
2005 Harry Mount "In The Studio" The Daily Telegraph, UK, December 6
2005 Stella Hamilton "Remfry's Return" Innovate, Lincoln University, UK, Autumn
2005 Barbara A. MacAdam "David Remfry at Neuhoff" ARTNews, USA, February
2004 David Cohen “David Remfry at Neuhoff” New York Sun, USA, December 9
2004 “Around the Galleries” Henley Standard, UK, September 24
2003 “The A-Z List” New York Times Magazine, USA, December
2003 Tina Gaudion "When Stella Met David" Saturday Times Magazine, UK 6 September
2003 Rose Apodaca Jones, "So Sketchy" Womens Wear Daily, USA, September 2
2003 Megan Johnson, "Fashion into Art: David Remfry Drawings for Stella McCartney" Thread, New Zealand, September
2003 Roni Feinstein, “David Remfry at Boca Raton Museum of Art and Elaine Baker" Art in America, USA, July
2003 Matt Schudel, “David Remfry DANCERS” Modern Painters, UK, Spring
2002 Phyllis Tuckman “David Remfry at Neuhoff” d’Art Magazine, Canada, Winter
2002 Michael Mills, "Lord of the Dancers," New Times, FL, USA, December 26
2002 Cindy Allen, “The Look of 2002,” Interior Design, USA, Number 12
2002 Heather L. Schreckengast, “David Remfry’s Artistic Rhythm,” Florida Design, USA, Volume 12, Number 4
2002 Gary Schwan, “Shall we dance?,” The Palm Beach Post, USA, November 29
2002 Candice Russell, “Folk, Dancing,” City Link, Florida, USA, December 4
2002 Katie Clifford, “Gucci Coup,” Art News, USA, December
2002 Stephen Little, “Stellar Remfry,” Bankside Gallery Bulletin, Winter, UK
2002 Matt Schudel, “Remfry’s dancers show full range of human emotions,” SunSentinal, Florida, USA, November 17
2002 “Watercolor Wonders, Remfry Exhibit Explores the Art of Dance,” The Times, Florida, USA, November 13
2002 Skip Sheffield, “Two Local Exhibits Feature Paintings by British Artist,” Boca Raton/Delray Beach News, Florida, USA, November 10
2002 Gary Schwan, “Remfry chooses (really) moving subjects,” The Palm Beach Post, Florida, USA, November 8
2002 “Party Art’ Palm Beach Illustrated, Florida, USA, November
2002 “The Boca Raton Museum of Art Debuts David Remfry:Dancers” The Parklander, Florida, USA, November
2002 “Watercolor Everywhere” Florida International Magazine, USA, November
2002 “David Remfry, Dancers,” Simply The Best, USA, Nov/Dec
2002 Annette Schroeder, “Die Art Cologne hat ihr Erscheinungsbild aufpoliert - Trend geht zur Malerei,’ Koumllnische Rundschau, Germany, October 20
2002 Lucie Muir, “Trend-setting,” International Herald Tribune, USA, October 9
2002 Bethan Cole, “When Worlds Collide,” Modern Painters, UK, Autumn
2002 Bethan Cole, “When Worlds Collide,” The Scotsman Newspaper, UK, September 25
2002 Shortcuts, “Pretend you know all about…,” The Guardian, UK, August 23
2002 Fashion Scoops, “Fly Girl,” Women’s Wear Daily, USA, August 26
2002 Richard Dorment, “Academy of cool Royal Academy Summer Exhibition,” artcriticlondon.com, UK, Summer
2002 William Packer, “Enjoys a return to the Royal Academy Summer Show,” Financial Times, UK, July 6/7
2002 Gerrit Henry, “David Remfry at Neuhoff and P.S.1,” Art in America, USA, May
2002 Courtney Powers Curtiss, “David Remfry, Figuratively Speaking” Florida Design Magazine. USA, Volume 10, Number 2
2001 “Mired in the Past? Painting with water should respond to the times. Some lessons for England from an unexpected quarter,” The Economist, UK, December 20
2001 Nicholas Wapshott, “A New York state of mind,” The Times, UK, October 24
2001 “Spotlight, Neuhoff Gallery,” Avenue Magazine, USA, October
2001 Steve Regan, “An artist from over here who’s famous over there,” Hull Daily Mail, UK, January 17
2001 Neala Schwartzberg, ‘Experience Contemporary Art at it’s Best,” LIEYE.com, USA, Autumn
2001 “Master Watercolurist,” Arena, UK, Issue 6
1999 Susan Hartenstein, “From The Artist Studio” rockwave.com, USA, October
1999 Candice Russell, “Cresting Watercolor” City Link, Palm Beach, Florida, USA, April 21
1999 “What’s Hot Around Town: Watercolor Magic” The Palm Beach Post, USA, April 2
1999 Deborah K. Dietsch, “Color and Curls” Sun-Sentinel, Florida, USA, April 8
1999 Gary Schwan, “Remfry’s watercolors offer compelling mix” Palm Beach Post, USA, April 2
1999 Skip Sheffield, “Remfry at Boca Museum of Art” Boca Raton News, USA, April 26
1999 Skip Sheffield, “Boca Museum of Art: 3 New Shows” Boca Raton News, USA, March 24
1999 Eloise David-Chopin, “A Kaleidoscope of Movement” Palm Beach Illustrated, USA, March
1998 Clancy Gebler-Davis, “Celebrating With The Booze Brothers” Evening Standard, UK, October 22
1998 Richard Dorment, “At last the RA gets it right” artcriticlondon.com, UK, Summer
1998 “New York, artists in Chelsea” G.Q, Japan, May
1997 John Russell Taylor, “Around the Galleries” The Telegraph, UK, November 11
1997 Anthony J. Lester, “Contemporary British Artists: A Personal Choice” Antique Collecting, UK, October
1997 “Where Quality Matters, David Remfry in Ambit Magazine” Ham & High, UK, October 31
1996 Felicity Owen, “Taken by Surprise” The Spectator, UK, July 27
1996 Camilla Shelley, “Featuring David Remfry” Henley Observer, UK, July
1995 “David Remfry at Portal Gallery” Sonnabend, Bremen, Germany, March 18
1995 “David Remfry” Bremer Anzeiger, Bremen, Germany, March 18
1994 "David Remfry" Profile, Impression Magazine, UK, November
1994 “David Remfry at Mercury Gallery” Boardroom Magazine, UK, August
1994 “Way Ahead” Daily Express, UK, July 16
1994 Robin Dutt, “David Remfry at Mercury Gallery” What’s On In London, UK, July
1994 “David Remfry, Mercury Gallery” Apollo Magazine, UK, July
1994 William Packer, “Ambitions Beyond the Simple Portrait” Financial Times, UK, July 2
1994 “David Remfry at Mercury Gallery” Royal Society for the Arts Journal, UK, June
1994 Felicity Owen, “Independent Spirits” Country Life Magazine, UK, May 12
1993 “David Remfry at Bohun Gallery” Art Review, UK, November
1993 “David Remfry at Bohun Gallery” House and Gardens, UK, October
1993 “Around the Galleries” Henley Standard, UK, October 29
1993 “David Remfry” Turbo First, UK, October
1993 “The Hunting/Observer Art Prizes” Watercolors, Drawings and Prints, UK, Spring
1993 “Art Competition Thrives” Hunting Group Review, UK, February
1993 “David Remfry at Bohun Gallery” Art Review, UK, May
1993 “David Remfry, Hunting/Observer Art Prize” The Observer Magazine, UK, January 31
1992 Fionnula McHugh, “Changing Faces” Telegraph Magazine, UK, May
1992 Anthony J. Lester, “Today’s Talents” Watercolours Drawings and Prints Magazine, UK, April
1991 Sheridan Morley, “Answer on a postcard” The Independent, UK, June 7
1991 Jane Norrie, “David Remfry at Bohun Gallery” Arts Review, UK, May 3
1991 Jane Norrie, “David Remfry at Bohun Gallery” Arts Review, UK, April 19
1990 William Packer, “Mainly homegrown talent” Financial Times, UK, June 5
1989 Jennifer Allen, “Architectural Digest Visits Joan Rivers” Architectural Digest, USA, February
1989 Jenny Rodwell, “Artistic Interiors” Country Homes, UK, June
1988 Florence Gould, “David Remfry, A Romantic Era Revisited” The News, Miami, USA, June 19
1988 William Packer, “David Remfry” Financial Times, UK, June 7
1988 “David Remfry” Miami Herald, UK, February
1988 Lori Campbell, “Roaring Twenties redux” The News, Miami, USA, January 18
1988 “Zack Schuster Gallery Presents David Remfry Showing” Future Florida, USA, January 19
1987 Jane Norrie, “David Remfry at Bohun Gallery” Art Review, UK, October 23
1986 “David Remfry” Hombre Magazine, Holland, August 8
1986 Max Wykes Joyce, “Exhibition Reviews, David Remfry” Art and Artist, UK, July
1986 “David Remfry” Future Florida, USA, June
1986 Millie Wolff, “David Remfry” Palm Beach Daily News, USA, March 9
1986 “Remfry’s Recent Paintings Open at Zack Schuster” Palm Beach Daily News, USA, March 9
1986 Judi Grove, “David Remfry pulled success out of his hats” Evening Times, UK, March 25
1984 “Hat Stand” Observer Magazine, UK, October 23
1984 “Warts & All” Portrait Magazine, UK, October
1984 Terrence Mullaly, “Art” Daily Telegraph, UK, October 2
1984 “David Remfry at Mercury Gallery” Arts and Artists Magazine, UK, September
1984 “Less Familiar Waters” Ham and High, UK, May 4
1984 Oswell Blakeston, “London Reviews, David Remfry” Arts Review, UK, April 11
1984 “Getting Ahead” Daily Telegraph, UK, April 24
1984 Oswell Blakeston, “David Remfry” Arts Review, UK, March 8
1984 Tuppy Wens, “Private View” Alpha Magazine, UK
1983 Caroline Collier, “David Remfry, Bohun Gallery” Arts Review, UK, October 14
1982 “Portrait” Sunday Times Magazine, UK, November 28
1982 “Bath Contemporary Art Fair” Arts Review, UK, May
1981 “Artist in the picture” Evening Gazette, UK, June 1
1981 “Artistic Likeness” Vogue, UK, February
1980 Beerenburght, “Review of show in Holland” Eugen Huis, Holland, November 28
1980 Twee Sympathieke Britten in De Galerie, Eugen Huis, Holland, October
1980 Terrence Mullaly, “…before she go there, the cupboard was bare” Daily Telegraph, UK, July 26
1980 Frank Davis, “Emerging Into Enlightenment” Country Life, UK, June
1980 “Miss Jean Muir, A drawing commissioned by The Times” The Times, UK, May 20
1980 “Painter who sees young as witless, Mercury Gallery” Daily Telegraph, UK, April 15
1980 Joy Hanington, “Picture Furniture at Mercury Gallery” Homes and Gardens, UK, February
1978 “Images of Chilhood, Bohun Gallery” Sunday Times, UK, October 15
1978 Oswell Blakeston, “David Remfry, Mercury Gallery” Arts Review, UK, October 3
1978 Janet Daley, “New Figuration” Arts Review, UK, August 10
1978 Jane Daley, “New Figuration” Arts Review, UK, June 9
1977 Srdja Djukanovic, “The London Season” Daily Telegraph, UK, May 23
1976 “David Remfry, Portraits” South London Press, UK, November 26
1976 "New Grafton Gallery Portraits" The Times, UK, March 18
1975 William Foster, “How To Get Your Portrait Painted” Homes and Gardens, UK, November
1975 W.E. Johnson, “Figure it all out yourself” Middlesbrough Evening Gazette, UK, July 15
1975 Richard Walker, “Artists of Today and Tomorrow” Arts Review, UK, July 25
1975 “Review of New Grafton Gallery exhibition” Daily Mail, UK, July 13
1975 Pru Clark, “Hull Ferens Exhibition is Devoted to the Work of Four Young Artists” Daily Mail, UK, February 19
1974 “Don’t just sit there – POSE!” Evening Standard, UK, November 15
1974 Tuppy Owens, “Private View” Alpha, UK, May
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2023 BBC The One Show with Lauren Laverne, The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, 2 June
2022 BBC London Live, David Remfry Watercolour at RWS Gallery, London 24 May
2020 ITV News News Correspondent Dan Rivers visits We Think The World of You: People and Dogs Drawn Together, The Lightbox, Woking 9 October
1980 Folio TV series
– Publications –
– Video –
– Audio –
Artists Lives with Cathy Courtney — Artists Lives is an oral history project, part of the National Life Stories Collection (NLSC) at the British Library Sound Archive.
David Remfry | In Talks With Danielle Radojcin
David Remfry | Alan Cumming's Shelves
David Remfry in conversation with William Feaver at Royal Drawing School 3 Oct 2018