David Briggs

David Briggs is an architect, artist, and community activist in Brooklyn. He is the Principal and Founding Partner at Loci Architecture; co-founder and Executive Director of Gowanus by Design, a non-profit in Brooklyn advocating for responsible urban planning around the Gowanus Canal Superfund site; and the chair of the Brooklyn CB6 Land Use/Landmarks/Housing Committee. He has resided in Carroll Gardens since 1989. He paints to understand the world and for the desire to create something new.

I started drawing, painting, and photographing in the 1980s and 90s. For 15 years I put aside my tools to focus on growing my architectural practice and family. When one of my mentors died, I was left with the existential question of how I wanted to spend the rest of my life. I started painting again, completing several still lifes before moving into a series of "scrapes" that explore color, space, and bold geometry. My current series uses these elements and the figure to explore our struggle to find faith in a fractured society. I paint to understand myself and for the desire to create something new.