ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

David Shapiro's Artistic Legacy: Abstract Painter Influenced by Buddhism and New York City

artist · 2026-04-22

David Shapiro, an abstract artist hailing from Brooklyn, was born in 1944 and succumbed to cancer in 2014. He obtained his MFA from Indiana University in 1968 and also attended Pratt Institute and the Skowhegan School of Art. Shapiro was a faculty member at Barnard College and Parsons, with his artistic and personal philosophies influenced by Buddhism. His notable series comprised Clearing, Origin and Return, Savasan, and Seer, Actor, Knower, Doer, delving into themes such as 'allostasis.' Over the years, he showcased more than eighty solo exhibitions across the U.S., Japan, England, and Canada, and produced over fifty print editions on Nepalese or Japanese paper. His artwork is part of collections at institutions like the Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim Museum, and Smithsonian Museum of American Art.

Key facts

  • David Shapiro was born in Brooklyn in 1944 and died in 2014 from cancer.
  • He earned an MFA from Indiana University in 1968 and studied at Pratt Institute and Skowhegan School of Art.
  • Shapiro taught at Barnard College and Parsons.
  • His work was influenced by Buddhism and Asian art, embracing stillness, calligraphy, and muted colors.
  • He created series including Clearing, Origin and Return, Savasan, and Seer, Actor, Knower, Doer.
  • Shapiro had over eighty solo shows in the U.S., Japan, England, and Canada.
  • He produced more than fifty print editions using Nepalese or Japanese papers with added natural elements.
  • His works are in collections at MoMA, Guggenheim Museum, Smithsonian Museum of American Art, and Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art.

Entities

Artists

  • David Shapiro
  • Douglas Florian

Institutions

  • Pratt Institute
  • Indiana University
  • Skowhegan School of Art
  • Barnard College
  • Parsons
  • Museum of Modern Art
  • Guggenheim Museum
  • Smithsonian Museum of American Art
  • Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art
  • artcritical

Locations

  • Brooklyn
  • New York
  • United States
  • Maine
  • Japan
  • England
  • Canada
  • Washington D.C.
  • Nagoya

Sources