Don Dahlke

Don Dahlke, born in San Francisco, California in 1950, is one of the most diverse artists of the 20th and 21st century.

One of the innovators of the agglomerate style of painting, Don is also a sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and designer. Known for his oil on canvas paintings, he captures the gaiety of the islands in his trio canvases while creating a pleasing sense of balance for the viewer. Shadows on a West Indian porch with shutters and gingerbread trim are just as delightful as the backdrop of sapphire water and a brilliant blue sky. That same blue sky and water figure prominently in his paintings of people.

Don credits travel as his greatest artistic influence. His two-year visit to Greece changed the way he treated light and color. He interrupted his formal art training on the West Coast by visiting the Cayman Islands for six months. Here, he found the quality of light, the blending of cultures, and the sheer beauty of the Caribbean that attract many artists. After trekking across Europe to study the great masters and apprenticing in England, he returned to the States for a time. Once again, the Caribbean beckoned. Today, he is regarded as one of the foremost artists of the Caribbean.