Do you ever consider the influences of Chinese and eastern culture on modern Australian art？ Possibly not； even though the historical influence of Chinese art on European and American art and artists is well documented. Chinese and other eastern images， concepts， philosophies and themes have also played an important role in the development of the art of Australias highest valued living artist， Sharon Davson.

Sharon Davson has been an internationally successful artist for about thirty years， with her art represented in Royal and public art gallery collections. There is both a painting and a drawing by her in the Royal Collection of Great Britain and one artwork in the Royal Collection of Malaysia.

Australias Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwin， and Japans Hikaru Memorial Museum in Takayama are examples of high-profile museums with significant paintings by Davson in their art collections. Her art， including drawings and original prints， has for several decades been housed in over forty public regional art galleries and civic collections in Australia， Japan and New Zealand.

However， long before her professional career successes， starting as a Fine Art student at the College of Art in Brisbane， QLD， Australia， Davson says； “I was fascinated by the beauty and delicacy of Chinese paintings and the bold colours and patterns on Oriental ceramics. I also read Chinese philosophy and Buddhist texts and was blending these ideas with my western style upbringing in rural Australia. They became important influences in the development of my creative thinking.”

Many of her student creations were far more stylised with minimal design images compared to the art images created by her art college peers. She allowed Eastern influences to help her express a spiritual depth through focussing on simplified imagery， with bold colour and design.

These interests and influences have remained throughout her career， prompting her many trips to China and various Asian countries over three decades.

So who is Davson and why are increasing numbers of people in the Chinese cultural and business communities taking an interest in her art？

Davson is a visually articulate artist who chose to be artistically relevant in a modern world. She creates art in which people can find meaning， be uplifted and encouraged to continue efforts to make our world a better place for all its inhabitants， human or other. Her images promote emotional， mental and physical wellbeing through their beauty， joy and thoughtfulness.

Choosing a positive and uplifting approach to imagery has been a progressive development. As Davson says； “It meandered through my art from early on to become a core feature of my work from the late 1980s onwards.” Her art is passionate and layered with meaning. It both reflects cultural history and forges its own path for others to follow.

In correspondence written in 1999 by Wairah Marzuki， Director of the National Art Gallery of Malaysia， she states； “Sharon Davsons art has … a sincerity and beauty， conveying messages of hope in an uplifting and inspirational approach to art. Sharon lights a path leading us forward. Her art is strong， confident and reaches out to people of diverse cultural backgrounds.”

Yet， in the tradition of the great masters， her work has mostly sold before being created. Davson works mostly on commission without ever compromising her style or the veracity of her intent to raise questions and communicate.

Giving her art meaningful relevance to its surroundings， whether it is a large scale painting， sculpture， glass work or intimately drawn etching， print or woven image， has always been a priority for Davson. She believes that her creativity is enriched by working with people， geographies and histories.

So for three decades， working on commission has afforded her considerable freedom in the international marketplace. When her art works resell （and they do）， it has mostly been directly from one collector to another， with minimal involvement from commercial galleries or auction houses. This also means Davson has maintained a level of privacy for herself and her high-profile clients.

Each original Davson painting has been carefully documented and authenticated. In an art world plagued by paintings not worked on by the artist and by potential forgeries； this is a necessary reassurance.

Creative leadership means Davson follows her passions to make a positive difference in our world. Over 400 celebrities have endorsed her World Flag and charitable ventures for world peace and endangered species awareness； art galleries are named after her， and she has been acknowledged as the leader of a new art movement. Along the way， she has become the highest valued living artist in Australia with multiple record making seven figure sales.

For an artist to have their creative development exhibited throughout a series of public art galleries requires high artistic achievement and reputation.

From 1999 to 2002， the retrospective exhibition“Davson - With Gratitude for the Light” toured Australia. Of the 65 exhibits （dating from 1972 to 1999）， many were on loan from public， corporate and private collections as Davson owns few of her own paintings.

In 2000， this impressive retrospective provided the opening exhibition of the Gatton Shire Davson Art Gallery in Davsons home town of Gatton， Queensland. However， this gallery closed in 2007 to make way for the new Lockyer Valley Cultural Centre.

From 2008 to 2011， a second major retrospective exhibition， “Davson ～ World Leaders and Enlightenment” toured public art galleries and venues. Many of the 45 artworks （dating from 1972 to 2008） were on loan from superannuation and other investment fund collections. It previewed at the Hunter Valley Gardens with acclaimed British-Australian singer Leo Sayer and the Cessnock Mayor John Clarence officiating.

“Davson ～ World Leaders and Enlightenment” became the opening exhibition for the new Lockyer Valley Cultural Centre in Gatton in December 2009； and provided the opening exhibition of the Davson Arts Museum in Newcastle， New South Wales.

Patrons for “Davson ～ World Leaders and Enlightenment” included： Newman Haas Racing with Carl Haas and film star Paul Newman， Sir Jack Brabham， Kelly Slater， Layne Beachley， Sir Cliff Richard， Dame Cleo Laine， Leo Sayer， and other international sporting and entertainment celebrities.

According to racing car driver Sir Nigel Mansell， the 1992 Formula One World Champion and 1993 IndyCar World Champion from the United Kingdom；

“Davson is … a remarkably gifted artist who can even get race car drivers to pay attention.”

For collectors of rare and valued works， it is important to note that Davson has only created about 100 paintings. Many comparable artists created thousands of pieces in order to reach the same level of acclaim！

This is a surprisingly small number for an artist who is best known for her paintings； and who has lived and supported charitable initiatives from the sale of her art for over thirty years. Thus accessing her art for many becomes a rare endeavour and a precious achievement； ownership of a Davson painting is a privilege afforded to only a small number of people across the world.

Fortunately， in recent years the artist has been keeping a register for as many of these paintings as she can. This includes where the art， and the full provenance on each piece， as well as which collectors could be willing to re-sell their precious paintings created by her. Some of these works have changed hands seven to nine times over the decades with values of her paintings doubling around every three or so years for over thirty years. Very rare for a living female artist！