We had the good fortune of connecting with David Paul Kay and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi David Paul, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
Success is my biggest aphrodisiac. Being inspired, following the flow of throughs and inner energy and creating what’s envisioned is my happy place.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I can not talk about what sets my work apart from others. That is for the others to decide and tell me. Getting where I am was not easy but it was interesting, every day was a learning experience, still is. You live therefore you move, you grow. Challenges are the most interesting part of it all. I learned so much about so many different cultures. What I do takes me places. I get to meet people from around the world, different backgrounds, mindsets, learn from them and share with them, collaborate and co-create. All this is genuinely inspiring.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If they have never been, I take them to the Met museum and spend the entire day there with them.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There have been so many great mentors, teachers, friends in my life who have shaped up who I am. I want to start with a Georgian artist Avtandil Tatanashvili. When I was 6 years old I became his apprentice. He taught me everything from how to properly hold a pencil to the genius of Da Vinci. His memory will always be a part of my life and career.

There have been so many great minds and hearts who shaped up my life as a professional artist, Kipton Cronkite, brilliant art advisor I’ve been working with for almost a decade now. Daniel Lebensohn, a dear friend, collector, author, developer and I would say an artist himself, he has given a platform to numerous great artists and has transformed spaces, communities into vibrant art infused experiences. Ivy Brown, New York’s one of the finest gallerists, a true New Yorker, someone who’s always been there to advise, has always pointed me to the right direction and has always been there for me, guiding me and helping me grow. Definitely must mention Justin Gilanyi in Los Angeles, now one of my closest friends, the host of my first artist residency, someone who’s greatest passion is to discover new talent and fuel them to shine brighter. Designer Malan Breton, he is one of the few who believed in my talent from the very beginning, beautiful soul, great talent. And of course my community in London, Rami Fustok and his brilliant team at The Mandrake. My family of artists Zoobs, Jeremy Silva and others who will always shine on my orbit.
People who come into your life with the right intentions make you, and you must always appreciate and keep them in your heart.

Website: www.davidpaulkay.com

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