David Gordon Hughes was born in Belfast in 1957. Eventhough he received no formal artistic education he was greatly influenced by early 20th Century Irish and European Artists such as Yeats, Paul Henry, Dan O'Neill and Gerard Dillon as well as Van Gough, Monet and Renoir. When he eventually exhibited, his work it met with much critical acclaim. The subject and composition of his works play a secondary role to the mood, atmosphere, texture and layers of colour. He uses an underlay of gold leaf in all his works which give his paintings a beautiful finish. In addition to his ability to paint, Hughes is also a very gifted sculptor. He has exhibited in the Royal Ulster Academy, the RHA in Dublin, numerous Group Shows and has had many solo exhibitions in Ireland and London