Colin Davidson

Colin Davidson was awarded the 2022 RCSI Art Award for 'Glen' – a 3D Portrait of Irish Songwritercand Musician, Glen Hansard' at the 192nd RHA Annual Exhibition.

He will be invited to complete a commission for RCSI in 2025/26.

Artist and muse in discussion

About the artist

Colin Davidson is a contemporary visual artist who lives and works near Belfast, Northern Ireland. He has structured his practice in themes, and since 2010 his focus has been on painting grand scale portraits, which have won widespread recognition and many international awards.

He was commissioned to paint the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, for TIME Magazine’s 2015 ‘Person of the Year’ cover, and was invited to paint official portraits of HM Queen Elizabeth II in 2016, former US President Bill Clinton in 2019, and Irish President Michael D. Higgins in 2020.

Davidson's portrait sitters also include Sir Kenneth Brannagh, Seamus Heaney, Edna O'Brien, and Liam Neeson, among many others. His work is held in public and private collections worldwide. He was appointed Chancellor of Ulster University in 2021.