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Double portrait by Peter Davis selected for Whitaker Open
On show at The Whitaker Museum & Art Gallery from 17th
October to 13th December 2026, Peter’s hyperreal painting ‘Stereo (diptych)’ explores the
viewer’s unconscious bias through two juxtaposed portraits of the same woman. Through the semiotics of clothing, it examines
how what people wear can change how we perceive them. The painting also draws on the use of chiaroscuro
throughout art history, with particular attention paid to light and shade to create tonal contrasts.
The sitter, Fahima, was both daunted and excited by the prospect of sitting for this portrait. After seeing the finished work, she said: “Having your portrait painted once is really special, but having a painting of you twice, side by side, is a bit overwhelming. Seeing every facial feature painted in so much detail is incredible, and I especially love the way he’s done the folds in the hijab fabric. It’s also interesting how my different coloured hijabs make me look different, and that’s something I’d never particularly thought about before.”
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