Ian Davenport (British, b.1966) is an abstract painter, Turner Prize nominee, and member of the
Young British Artists. Born in Kent, Davenport briefly attended Northwich College of Art and Design. He then went on to graduate from Goldsmiths College of Art in 1988, and participated in the seminal
Freeze exhibition that same year. Known for his abstract compositions, he creates his pieces by dripping household gloss paint onto tilted canvases, boards, and aluminum panels, allowing gravity to determine the appearance of the final work. With an emphasis on experimentation, Davenport seeks to prioritize immediacy and spontaneity over theoretical concerns.
The artist held his first solo show in 1990, and was also invited to participate in
The British Art Show later that year. He has since gone on to exhibit in numerous galleries and institutions, including
Paul Kasmin Gallery in New York, Dundee Contemporary Arts, and Hakgojae Gallery in South Korea, as well as the Tate Britain, in an exhibition titled
Days Like These, for which he created a 42-and-a-half-foot-long mural made by dripping lines of paint down a wall using a syringe.
Recently, Davenport has turned his focus to silkscreen printing and etching, and has begun to build up a significant body of graphic work.
Davenport’s paintings are held in prestigious collections around the world, including the Arts Council of Great Britain, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Tate Gallery in London, Weltkunst Collection in Zurich, and Southampton City Art Gallery.
He lives and works in London.