About the Curator, David Lionheart
Mixed media artist David Lionheart uses his keen sense of depth and spatial awareness to create abstract works, enhanced by color and texture. He employs a variety of unexpected materials to create layers of dimension, including oil paints, spray paints, and industrial materials, which results in a sculptural quality in his canvas and wood pieces. In his large-scale compositions, he demonstrates a unique understanding of the power of movement over a canvas, versus representing a specific subject. This creates a powerful suggestive journey that walks the viewer over every square inch of the piece.
Born in the City of Newburgh, NY, and raised by a single mother, David faced immeasurable challenges and traumas at an early age. He credits his mother’s indomitable strength and influence for guiding him through extreme adversity. Now he’s on a mission to teach others the potential any one person has to be a positive force for themselves and others.
David has overcome the horrific effects of sexual abuse, the catastrophic pain of a loved one’s suicide, the early struggles of life in a broken home, and the limitations of severe financial distress. With intense commitment to his own healing, David learned to view his struggles as blessings that taught him the value of adversity, and allow him to help others navigate their own challenging paths.
Today, David is the founder of the 501(c)(3) Play For Your Freedom. He utilizes wellness workshops to get veterans out of hospital rooms or secluded lifestyles and back into their lives in whatever capacity they can. He is also a powerful speaker on trauma, adversity, and triumph.
“David is a firm believer that everyone has the ability to be a force in this world, and he is using his own life to exemplify that belief. His message of resilience, gratitude, and hope is profoundly moving. He is not above allowing himself to be raw and real, and his audiences are often found in stunned silence moments before erupting into applause.” – Barbara Allen, Co Founder of American Snippets