David ‘MEGGS’ Hooke (b. 1978, Melbourne, Australia) is a mural, street and fine artist recognized for his large scale murals and detailed paintings that combine elements of nature, urban decay and abstraction to evokes a sense of flowing movement and states of change. His work explores core themes of sustainability, consumerism and life’s dualities in a continuing personal journey of self growth and finding connection to place.
With a background in surf/skate culture and graphic design, David’s personal arts practice began circa 2003 in street art when he adopted the moniker ‘MEGGS’ and became a founding member of the ‘EVERFRESH Studio’, now regarded as one of Australia’s most influential street art collectives. During the period of 2003-2010, MEGGS and his fellow Everfresh Studio members, produced many forms of street art, murals and DIY exhibitions around Melbourne and overseas.
MEGGS has since established himself as a professional mural and gallery artist with over 20 years experience in producing dynamic large scale murals and exhibitions which reflect his own journey and environments. He has exhibited and produced murals within Australia, as well as internationally within California, Michigan, Texas, Hawai’i, London, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico and India to this date.
In 2014 MEGGS relocated to the USA to pursue travel and career opportunities, spending the majority of his time living and working in Los Angeles, Detroit and Hilo (Hawai’i) which provided him with a greater understanding of the contrast between natural beauty and industrial decay. During this time MEGGS also co-founded ‘Temple Children’ a Hilo (Hawai’i) based artist residency which produced public artworks and exhibitions in Hawai’i to engage artists in cross cultural connections and environmental awareness.
MEGGS has held numerous successful solo exhibitions since 2007, most notably with Backwoods Gallery in Melbourne, Thinkspace Gallery in Los Angeles, White Walls Gallery in San Francisco, Above Second in Hong Kong and Inner State Gallery in Detroit. MEGGS’ artwork has been acquired by the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) and National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) permanent works on paper collections and are also included in the permanent collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; the Museum of Art and History Lancaster, California and the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Indianapolis.
In 2019 MEGGS returned to Melbourne, reconnecting with ‘EVERFRESH’ , and continues to produce large-scale public murals and private commissions within Australia and abroad. His recent achievements include artwork for the bands BLINK 182 and PEARL JAM, murals for the Australian Open Tennis, The City of Melbourne, East Gippsland Rail Trail; and a sold out solo exhibition at Backwoods Gallery in Collingwood, July 2021.
Formal Education: Bachelor of Design, Swinburne School of Design. Graduated 2000.
MUSEUM COLLECTIONS
2018 The Urban Nation Museum, Permanent collection, Berlin (DE)
2017 The Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Permanent collection, Indiana (USA)
2016 The Lancaster Museum of Art and History, Permanent collection, California (USA)
2015 The Long Beach Museum of Art, Temporary Installation, June-July, California (USA)
2010 The National Gallery of Australia, Permanent Works on Paper Collection, Canberra (AUS)
2010 The Victoria & Albert Museum, Permanent Contemporary Prints collection, London (UK)
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2021 ‘RAIN TO RUST’ - Backwoods Gallery, Melbourne (AUS)
2018 ‘LESS IS MORE’ Featured Artist - First Amendment Gallery, San Francisco (USA)
2015 ‘PAVING PARADISE’ - Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (USA)
2015 ‘RISE & FALL’ - Stolenspace Gallery, London (UK)
2014 ‘SPOILED ROTTEN’ - Inner State Gallery, Detroit (USA)
2013 ‘ARCH ANGELS’ - WhiteWalls Gallery, San Francisco (USA)
2013 ‘HEAVENLY CREATURES’ - Thinkspace Gallery, Los Angeles (USA)
2012 ‘TRUTH IN MYTH’ - WhiteWalls Gallery, San Francisco (USA)
2012 ‘JOURNEY IS THE REWARD’ - Above-Second Gallery, Hong Kong (HK)
2011 ‘INNER DEMONS II’ - Backwoods Gallery, Melbourne (AUS)
2011 ‘INNER DEMONS’ - ZeroCool Gallery, London (UK)
2010 ‘SONS OF PRIVILEGE’ - LoFi Collective, Sydney (AUS)
2010 ‘KING FOR A DAY’ - Above-Second Gallery, Hong Kong (HK)
2008 ‘OWN WORST ENEMY’ - Don’t Come Gallery, Melbourne (AUS)
2007 ‘ALTER EGOTISM’ - Utopian Slumps Gallery, Melbourne (AUS)
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021 The First Decade: From Hawai’i To The World, Bishop Museum, Oahu, Hawai’i (USA)
2020 Street Art Bushfire Appeal, Leonard Joel Auctioneers, South Yarra (VIC)
2020 15 Yr Anniversary show, ThinkSpace Gallery, Los Angeles (CA)
2019 Kindred Spirits, East Hawai’i Cultural Centre, Hilo (HI)
2019 LAX/ORD, Vertical Gallery & ThinkSpace Art, Chicago (IL)
2018 Less is More, First Amendment Gallery, San Francisco (USA)
2018 Thinkspace Gallery, Scope Art Fair, Miami (USA)
2018 The New Vanguard, Museum of Art and History, Lancaster (USA)
2018 POW! WOW! HAWAI’I, Honolulu Museum of Art, Honolulu HI (USA)
2017 Juxtapozed, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne IN (USA)
2017 Flourish, MESA Arts Center, Arizona (USA)
2017 Paint it Forward, Cass Contemporary Gallery, Tampa FL (USA)
2017 Urban Nation, Urban Nation Museum, Berlin (GER)
2016 Pow! Wow! Hawaii X Thinkspace Gallery, Honolulu Museum of Art Hawai’i (USA)
2015 SCOPE Miami, Thinkspace Gallery, Miami (USA)
2015 Santa Cruz Skateboards Anniversary Exhibition, So High Gallery, Sydney (AUS)
2015 Vitality & Verve: Transforming the Urban Landscape, Long Beach Museum of Art (USA)
2015 LAX / DTW by Thinkspace Art, Inner State Gallery, Detroit (USA)
2015 Invisible College by Thinkspace Gallery, Fort Wayne Museum of Art IN (USA)
2015 Manifest Justice: Art for Amnesty Exhibition, Los Angeles (USA)
2015 We Are All Doomed, Blind Whino Gallery, Washington D.C. (USA)
2015 Mambo Australia 30-year Anniversary Exhibition, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (AUS)
2015 Mambo Australia 30-year Anniversary Exhibition, Ambush Gallery, Sydney (AUS)
2015 SCOPE New York, Thinkspace Gallery, New York (USA)
2015 SCOPE New York, Inner State Gallery, New York (USA)
2015 La Familia, Thinkspace Gallery, Culver City (USA)
2014 SCOPE Miami, Thinkspace Gallery, Miami (USA)
2014 LAX/TXL, Urban Nation, Berlin (GER)
2014 POW! WOW! HAWAI‘I, Honolulu (USA)
2014 Beyond Eden, LA Municipal Arts Center, Los Angeles (USA)
2013 Work in Progress, Swire x Above Second Gallery, Hong Kong (HK)
2011 Underbelly Project, Opera Gallery NY / Art Basel Miami (USA)
2011 Young & Free, 941 Geary Street Gallery, San Francisco (USA)
2011 Everfresh Studio, National Gallery of Victoria / NGV Studio, Melbourne (AUS)
2011 Space Invaders, National Gallery of Australia (NGA), Canberra (AUS)
2011 Inle, Gallery 1988, Los Angeles (USA)
2010 Everfresh: Blackbook Launch, Melbourne, Sydney (AUS), Tokyo (JPN)
2009 Green Day: The Art of Rock, Stolenspace Gallery, London (UK)
PRESS
Acclaim / All City Canvas / Arrested Motion / Beautiful Decay / Brooklyn Street Art / Complex / Curbed / Detroit Free Press / HI*FRUCTOSE / Hypebeast / High Snobiety / Instagrafite / Juxtapoz / LiveFAST / Mass Appeal / Metro Times [Detroit] / RVA / SF Weekly / stupidDOPE / Supersonic Art / VNA / Widewalls
