David Barker was born in Chichester, England in 1941. His family moved to New Zealand in 1951. Barker received his training as an artist at Elam School of Fine Arts, and graduated in 1964 with a Bachelor with Honours. He then went on to study at the University of Hawaii, completing his Masters in 1966. In 1968 Barker held his first one-man exhibition in Richmond, Tasmania, and Los Angeles, California. Barker has since exhibited regularly in New Zealand and elsewhere, including London, France, Italy, Spain, America, Finland, Tokyo and Moscow. Barker’s love for the sea has seen him work not only as an artist, but also as a boat designer and builder. His first catamaran the “Sundowner” was built in Sydney in 1969. Barker designed both the interior and exterior. He has also been involved in documentary and film production as well as book publication. His first book, David Barker: The Man and His Art was published in 1982 by Bateman’s as a limited edition of five hundred copies. In 1988 Barker was the official artist on board a yacht visiting Antarctica, Pelgaric, with Skip Novac. The sketches from this adventure were published in Antarctic Log Book in 1991 by Random Century. The Auckland Maritime Museum at Hobson Wharf commissioned Barker in 1993 to design and paint a mural for their whaling display. In 1995 he was appointed director of the Artists for Nature Foundation (ANF).