David Rivera is a classically trained artist who specializes in hyper realistic portraits and still life’s. He works in a variety of mediums to create compelling expressions of reality. Whether exploring the intricacies of an object in a trompe l’oeil still-life or the soulful expression on a model’s face, he manages to combine his keen observations with a sense of poetic feeling. His works, which have included everything from large scale corporate portraits to miniature single object renderings on paper, are done with tremendous patience and sensitivity. It is not uncommon for Mr. Rivera to spend hundreds of hours on a single piece which is a true testament to the love that he has for fine craftsmanship. His mission in his own words is “finding extraordinary beauty in ordinary things”. It is without doubt that we can immediately recognize this temperament in all of his work.
Above: the artist (left) standing with Bucks County Judge, Robert Mellon (right) next to the official portrait to be displayed in the Bucks County Court House upon Mellon’s retirement.
EDUCATION
2002 The New York Academy of Figurative Art – cum laude
1999 The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2016 “Tertulia” (a group exhibition focusing on Latino artists) at the Ellarslie Art Museum
2015 Faculty exhibition, Mercer County Community College
2014 Alfa Art Gallery, New Brunswick NJ
2013 Faculty exhibition, Mercer County Community College
2012 – 2014 Represented by the Michael Fratrich Gallery, Lambertville, NJ
2010 “Artprize”, Grand Rapids Michigan (City of Grand Rapids Michigan turns into a public arena for national and international artists)
2010 May – June, Ellarslie Art Open XXVIII, Ellarslie Art Museum (juried exhibition)
2009 – 2011 Represented by J&W Gallery, New Hope, PA
2008 April – June, Ellarslie Art Open XXVI, Ellarslie Art Museum (juried exhibition)
2008 Represented by Premiere Fine Arts Gallery, Lambertville, PA
2005 “The Classics Return” Ellarslie Art Museum
2003 Represented by the More Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2002 The New York Academy of Figurative Art, annual exhibition, NY
“Rivera’s painting ‘Abscence of Tide’ , presents the traditional subject of a still life. He intrigues the viewer by providing a desolate landscape for these rare and beautiful nautical objects without the presence of the sea. This creates a contrast between the richness and sharpness of the forms and the starkness of the background. The shells and the rocks are thus enhanced and resonate towards the viewer. This is also continued in his painting ‘Passages’. The leaves are pushed almost into the viewers space, and are so highly detailed, that one might swear they are real leaves. This manipulation of images within his work is signature of his style and artistry.”
– Alfa Art Gallery
