With 42 solo exhibitions, and dozens of art awards under his belt you’d be excused for expecting David Giles to be one of those stereotypical, somewhat affected ‘artiste’ types. However, nothing could be further from the truth for this passionate artist and gallery owner, who despite being heralded as one of Australia’s most exciting contemporary painters, chooses to give back to the art community that he so loves.

Crediting his twenty year career to a near death drowning experience, the abstract work that has followed has been consistent in its appeal; largely due to David’s ability to create visually entrancing works with a spiritual depth that seem to permeate the ambience of the room.
The unique qualities of David’s work are more easily understood when change My you hear David talk about the experience that came to define his work. In the ABC documentary titled “How Art Change My Life: David Giles,” Giles recalls the event,

“In 1993 I was swimming and got taken out by a rip, getting tumbled by the big breakers of the Southern Ocean..I was in a full blown panic, at first, and then I just had this thought that if I don’t relax into this I will stay in this same sense of panic forever. So, I totally relaxed into it and it became a really beautiful, mystical, revelation-ary experience.”

The artwork that has followed seems to have recaptured that mystical experience with a spiritual tranquility that continues to be a major theme in his art twenty years later. The eternally meditative mood present in Giles’ work has seen his paintings grace the walls of corporate lobbies, hotels and private collections across the globe.
Giles now aims to give back to the art community that has supported him throughout his 20 year career via an educational endeavor called “The freedom School of Painting”. Based at the David Giles Art Gallery in High St, Fremantle. The Freedom School works to empower individuals to follow their artistic passion and provides an outlet for artists to display their work.

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The Freedom School is a place for artistic development where he mentors upwards of 32 students. Seven students from the program have so far gone on to become award-winning artists themselves.