David Datuna

Biography:

Bio
David Datuna (1974–2022)

Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, David Datuna established his career in New York, He practiced as a self-taught artist. His work mainly explored cultural, political and social identity, with optical lenses serving as his signature medium. These lenses fractured and layered imagery, symbolizing both individual perception and collective vision.

Datuna’s mix media works incorporated photographs, paint, text and clippings from popular media, often arranged over flags, portraits and iconic symbols. In dialogue with Pop Art, he drew on familiar imagery not to glorify it, but to probe how societies construct and, consume their own icons.

His career included solo exhibitions at major institutions such as the Smithsonian, collaborations with organizations including Google Glass and the Lincoln Center and international projects like Viewpoint of Billions, which invited audiences to experience art through wearable technology.

In December 2019, Datuna captured global attention at Art Basel Miami by eating Maurizio Cattelan’s artwork Comedian, a banana duct-taped to the wall that had sold for $120,000. He titled his act Hungry Artist, framing it as a performance and commentary on value, consumption and the absurdity of the art market. This provocative gesture became one of the most talked about moments in recent art history, cementing his reputation as a socially engaged artist unafraid of challenging institutions.

Beyond his art, Datuna established philanthropic initiatives following his own battle with cancer, founding The Fund for Life and the Life Award to support medical research and lifesaving work.