David Griessel

Artist Biography

David was born and raised in Bloemfontein. Having completed his BA in Fine Arts at the University of The Free State in 2012, he has since then been a full time artists and book illustrator. Now, living and working in Cape Town, his work has been exhibited at many galleries across South Africa and also France attributable to his art residency at Draw International in Caylus.

David’s drawings may appear to be whimsical fantasy scenes, but in actuality the themes he attempts to visualize are often very serious and extremely personal. His art walks the tightrope between playfulness and solemnity, whimsy and pensiveness.

The themes, metaphors, symbols and concepts that recur throughout his work form channels within the chaos of the sea: The travelling nomad, displacement, alienation, destruction and melancholia are examples of the currents tracing their way in the ocean of my mind. Interspersed among these works are whimsical and often quite arbitrary references to literature that include, Franz Kafka, Nietzsche, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and T.S Elliot.

Artist Statement

‘Illustration in itself is not seen by many as forming part of the ‘Fine Arts’ family, but more as a bastard child spawned in a scandalous union between word and image. My pictures are my own restless bastard children’

BROWSE MY COLLECTION

David Griessel

David Griessel

It looks like you're leaving!
Before you go, sign up to our newsletter.
Maybe later