As a young artist in the early noughties, Bray often waited for his train at Lewisham station in South East London as part of the daily commute to his studio in the mornings. What to most people around him was a routine, was partly a sensory journey to him where even a vacant moment was an opportunity to sense the world; observing the urban landscape going through the seasons as trees, branches and leaves change colour, and the adapted wildlife taking advantage of the city. Less than an hour on the train and the scenery had changed. Gone were most of the greenery of suburban London and replaced with a desk in the studio in Poland Street, just off the shopping hazards of Oxford Street.

It was during the years in London that Bray found the path of his artistic practice seen today. The love of drawing as a child, a vivid imagination of the prospect of future space travel and superheroes - and his obvious talent with a pen in hand - all came together in the West-End “dimension”; one he would travel to, almost as through a wormhole expanding between the mundane outer reaches of London to the hip Soho. From basic working tools comprising of pens, pencils and paper bought in the ordinary stationary shops, Bray’s would skillfully create time-consuming drawings exploring emotions, utopia and a world of fantasy.

The studio shared with a fashion photographer meant a workplace distant from an ideal peaceful and bright atelier. Through the day, a steady stream of young hopeful models would ascend the stairs to the fourth floor, waltz in, portfolio under the arm, to impress and pose for his office mate. Despite the commotion, the background talk and steady movement, the new disruptive ambiance quickly found a way into Bray’s work bringing everything together: the urban nature from the morning travels and the striking young, resolute women.

Directing a seductive glance straight at the viewer with their full lips slightly apart, the attractive young women with long wavy hair are posing to the viewer in Seasons of Missed Opportunities 1 and Seasons of Missed Opportunities 2 (2008). From the mouth of one woman a blooming delightful flower expands, giving space to a small colibri sipping nectar from her lips - while the other woman gently drinks through a leafy stem from an aluminium can, pencilled with the word “yes”. The two works could misguidedly be characterised as a male fantasy gone astray; however, Bray keeps the subjects somewhat blank of their emotions and doesn’t cross the line to some sort of eroticism. What remains are portraits of the elusive youth and vitality, as well as the blissful unawareness of life’s random journey crowded with doors of electrifying chances or Sisyphean challenges waiting behind. Some of them missed opportunities, as the titles suggest, existing entirely in the artist’s mind.

In the subsequent works, By Day and By Night, Bray aspired to push his creativity further and reveal more complex personality of his subjects, while keeping the works flawless at first sight.

Inspired by his long time fascination with comic book heroes, he looked toward Batman and Superman, who legendarily are rather nerdy and boring by day - and admirable heroes after dark. Similarly, in By Day, the artist’s depiction of an apparently typical London girl, she turns out too far from mundane. As she catches the viewer‘s eyes, her look and artistically decorated Vespa scooter helmet - painted with number 13 on one side and ancient masks on front offering protecting from spirits - indicates something is hiding behind the beauty; a darker side. Disguised in a mask, she comes out By Night, revealing a steely anger and discontent, given away by the clown-like tears coming from one of her eyes.

The hidden side of the subjects is apparent in much of Bray’s work, which can be quite dark. Though, apart from the sexy, semi-naked - and sometimes loose - young women, seemingly weighed down with resentment and bitterness, they also present a layer of dreams and opportunities, not all of them missed. Like the little portraits the artist drew on Post-It notes which he in the end decided to frame. If left to Bray they would likely have remained unframed and just lying around the house; on a desk, stuck to the fridge with a magnet or on the kitchen work surface. Three Tiny Reminders of what has been - or what could be.

Towed along the long corridors of the Royal Academy of Arts in London by his father from a young age, Bray was brought up in an environment of creativity and imagination. The lifelong love of drawing paved the way to a successful commercial career and first solo show in English capital in 2007, one which was followed by several shows in London - and led to inclusion in international group exhibitions. Today, the artist works and lives south of London, where he is currently unpacking boxes after his recent move.

By Day, By Night and Seasons of Missed Opportunities 1 and Seasons of Missed Opportunities 2 are part of some of Bray’s most recognisable works from his years in the busy studio in London’s West-End. The four works on paper, in editions of 30, were released in 2008 in an exclusive collaboration between David Bray and Eyestorm. Printed as archival prints on Hahnemuhle Photorag paper, each print is signed and numbered on front.

You can find more information about the four print editions, and see them in further details, on David Bray’s artist page here.