High school drop out, surf bum, lost boy finds clay, starts making pots and works out that being busy is the best way to quiet an over active mind. A love of other artists’ work, a love of paint, a collecting obsession and a desire to try most things creative and explore different mediums.
Bromley’s love of interiors and creating magical spaces means that his collection is housed within his numerous spaces, one of which the Old Castlemaine Gaol is the perfect canvas for David’s Dr Seuss meets Salvador Dali meets Edward Scissorhands mindset.
David’s exploration of whimsy, joy and beauty is his life.
Born in 1960 in Sheffield, England, David Bromley immigrated to Australia with his family in 1964 and emerged as a painter in the mid 1980s. Since then, he has become one of the most recognisable and innovative artists in Australia.
Over the past 20 years David’s work has fostered widespread acclaim and notoriety in Australia and internationally. He has exhibited on nearly every continent including Asia, Europe, Africa and America.
Throughout the early stages of his career, Bromley held solo exhibitions in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide and continues to be represented with works in state and regional galleries.
A finalist in the AGNSW’s Archibald Prize in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2008, he has been awarded the coveted title in the Fisher’s Ghost Prize, along with being named numerous times as a finalist in the Moet & Chandon Touring Art Prize.
Bromley’s practice is noted for its distinct styles of painting that include the female portrait, his children series and the butterflies and birds series. His 4 decades of practice has honed his uniquely identifiable line that is recognisable across a multitude of themes and mediums.
Bromley’s design eye and ability to create mesmerising, engaging experiences has seen him commissioned to design and orchestrate crafted environments both throughout Australia and internationally. Working within contexts as diverse as residential skyscrapers developments, major boutique retail spaces and even within iconic food and beverage venues, his ability to create transformative, otherworldly experiences has helped in redefining how audiences typically engage with and respond to these environments.
With his wife Yuge, this partnership has crafted unparalleled studios, galleries and an art practice that under the banner Bromley & Co that has become an internationally recognised and respected creative brand.
In 2023, a feature length documentary film, Bromley: Light After Dark directed by Sean McDonald, was released through Madman Entertainment that explores with intimate access, Bromley’s art practice, the layers of anxiety, phobias and survival he experiences, whilst embracing the humour, energy, and love that is ever-present in the Bromley world. The award-winning film has garnered widespread critical success and has been selected for numerous film festivals in Australia and internationally.