A comprehensive essay about David Fairbairn by distinguished art historian, art critic and curator, Sasha Grishin AM, FAHA is featured in the Oct-Dec 2026 edition of Art Collector.
"Neither likeness nor abstraction, David Fairbairn's heads work as Rembrandt's late portraits do — the sitter's identity almost beside the point"
— Sasha Grishin
Grishin identifies David Fairbairn as having established a distinctive voice in Australian portraiture, combining vigorous draughtsmanship with painting and mixed media to create deeply expressive works that move between abstraction and figuration. Grishin describes the prolonged sittings and repeated observation between Fairbairn and his sitters that result in portraits that transcend physical likeness. The artist captures the psychological essence of his subjects, revealing something profound and universal about the human condition.
Contributing essays by Nanda\Hobbs' Director Ralph Hobbs, and Emily Rolfe, Curator at Campbelltown Arts Centre were also included.
The feature coincides with the release of David Fairbairn's first monograph Paperworks and major exhibition at Nanda\Hobbs Proof of Identity from 5 - 21 November.
Art Collector Oct-Dec 2026
A Few Perfect Lines
Words by Sasha Grishin AM, FAHA
Contributing words by Ralph Hobbs and Emily Rolfe
Photographs by Nick De Lorenzo
p. 124 - 129
