David Schofield RGI (b.1972), English

”This is a small but very striking oil painting.

What first drew me to it was the atmosphere. The figures stand together almost like a quiet group after a performance — slightly abstract, slightly mysterious. They’re not detailed portraits, more like silhouettes of people, which gives the painting a really strong sense of mood rather than narrative.

The colours are warm and earthy — browns, reds and deep shadows — and the figures almost glow against the darker background. Even though the painting is small, it has a lot of presence.

It’s a lovely early work by David Schofield and a good example of his figurative style from that period.”

David Schofield is a contemporary painter and illustrator born in Wrexham in 1972. He studied Contemporary Art at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, graduating with a BA (Hons) in Illustration and Printmaking.

Following graduation, Schofield lectured at Duncan of Jordanstone between 1994 and 1998, while also working as a freelance illustrator. Since the late 1990s he has exhibited his paintings widely across Scotland, the United Kingdom and internationally.

Schofield’s paintings often explore themes of stability, safety and the idealised rural or urban environment, frequently combining recognisable locations with unexpected or surreal elements. Figures, crowds and architectural structures often appear in ambiguous narrative scenes that introduce subtle tension or surreal qualities within otherwise familiar settings.

He is a regular exhibitor at the Royal Scottish Academy and an elected member of the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts (RGI).

Awards include:

• James Torrance Memorial Award, RGI (2003)

• David Cargill Art Award for Artists Under 35, RGI Annual Exhibition (2005)

• City of Glasgow Award, RGI Exhibition (2007)

• Merit Award, iJungle International Illustration Competition (2017)

His work is held in private collections in the UK, USA and France.