Peter Davidson

Peter Davidson is a Melbourne-based artist and architect, best known for designing Melbourne’s Federation Square as founder and co-director of LAB architecture studio.

After suffering a major stroke in 2010, which resulted in hemiplegia and the loss of most of his language, Davidson stopped practicing as an architect and devoted himself full-time to his artistic practice. Drawing with his non-dominant hand, Davidson creates intricate drawings, tracing a multitude of patterns and forms through the strict constraint of black lines on paper. In recent years, Davidson has expanded his practice to include watercolours, exploring pattern and composition through colour.

Davidson graduated in 1980 from the NSW Institute of Technology in Sydney (now UTS), after which he moved to London and ran his own practice while simultaneously teaching at various institutions. Davidson has taught and lectured extensively, including at the AA, London; Bartlett School of Architecture, London; as Adjunct Professor at UTS in Sydney; and as Visiting Professor at Cooper Union, New York and MIT, Boston. In 1994 Davidson co-founded LAB architecture studio and won the competition to design Federation Square in 1997, at which time he moved from London to Melbourne.
Recent exhibitions of his work include No Vacancy Gallery (2022), Untitled, Bundoora Homestead Art Centre (2017); Peter Davidson, Daine Singer (2021, 2016, 2015 & 2013), A Fine Line, Daine Singer (2012) and Draw the Line, National Gallery of Victoria (2009).
In 2018 VERSION published Words, Lines, a limited edition book of Davidson's poems and drawings.