David Blackwood

Born in 1941, David Blackwood grew up in a small Newfoundland fishing village where education was highly valued and storytelling was an art form. Listening to stories about the seal hunt and the lives of his neighbors influenced the kind of art Blackwood would produce later in life. In 1959, he obtained a scholarship to attend the Ontario College of Art, Toronto, where he studied printmaking. His first solo show was held in 1969.

David is considered one of Canada’s best printmakers and has continued to focus primarily on the history and environment of Newfoundland. His stark blue-black etchings reflect the immensity and beauty of the landscape and the heroic lives of those who know the ever present dangers of the northern seas.

Blackwood has extensively exhibited his work both internationally as well as throughout Newfoundland and Canada. In addition to being part of the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Permanent Collection, Blackwood’s art is included in various private and public collections such as the National Gallery of Canada; the National Gallery of Australia; Uffizi, Florence, Italy; and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. In 1992 he was awarded the federal government’s Heritage award and the National Film Board of Canada produced the award winning documentary “Blackwood”.

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