British contemporary artist David Kim Whittaker was born in Redruth, Cornwall in 1964 He/she then joined his/her family’s pub and restaurant, after which he/she joined catering college During this time he/she continued to pursue art and also worked a brief stint as a pearl fisherman in Ireland

The self-taught artist is known for his/her mixed-media art that often incorporates elements of assemblage and collage, and has recently started working with sound installations and written material as well Whittaker’s works are an amalgamation of the abstract and the figurative Metaphysical portraits of the human head are his most famed works where he/she interprets them in an ambiguous manner These heads symbolise both the conflict and calm that reside within and without, attempting to depict the entirety of the human experience They explore subjects of one’s identity and the subconscious and can be seen as almost autobiographical in nature, representing the artist’s own inner turmoil The blend of landscapes with the interpretations of the head also mirror the gender dysphoria that Whittaker has struggled with through his/her career

A recipient of the Towry Award in 2011 at the National Open Art Competition (2011), Whittaker has exhibited his work throughout the world including solo exhibitions at Hyde Park Gallery in 1992 and Fondazione Mudima, Milan in 2017 He has also been part of several group exhibitions, notable of which is one at Peter Blake Gallery, California in 1994 The artist currently lives and works out of Cornwall