About
Statement
One thing that has always tied David Stewart Klein’s work together has been the need to express something strong, volatile, fragile, fleeting. To him that can be the intimacy and vulnerability of a portrait, an argument of a couple, the silence between figures, the strength of a individual standing or fluidly in motion. Klein takes his subjects and amplifies the compositional space with what is being represented, a fragment of his mind and the people that inhabit the world around him. Whether it is in oil, or acrylic paint, sculpture, or drawings done in charcoal, ink or pencil, his works read as intense, thought provoking and beautiful. Klein will use the color pallets necessary to show the mood he seeks to convey, whether in varying vivid colors or in a more limited dynamic range. He aims to capture the essence of his subjects and intends to show his audience his belief that no matter their background, the one thing present in us all is our souls. We all have something to say underneath our silence.
Exhibition list
Select Exhibitions list
Solo Exhibitions:
2024:
The Form
Tag Gallery
Los Angeles, CA - Feb 2024
2023:
As The People Pass By
Tag Gallery
Los Angeles, CA - Sep 2023
2022:
They Look Back
Tag Gallery
Los Angeles, CA - May/June 2022
2021:
A Beautiful Chaos
Tag Gallery
Los Angeles, CA - July 2021
2020:
Welcome to the New World: As Its Always Been
Tag Gallery
Los Angeles, CA - July/Aug 2020
2019:
Reflections
Blue 7 Gallery
Santa Monica, CA - March/April 2019
Features:
Rising Stars of LA
The Hive Gallery
Los Angeles, CA
August 2025
David Stewart Klein - Recent Works
TAG Gallery
Los Angeles, CA
Dec 2022 - ongoing
Group Exhibitions:
2025:
8 group exhibitions including:
Made in the USA: Comics and Counterculture
Juror: Joey Feldman
Los Angeles, CA
July/Aug 2024
The Hive Gallery: 80’s Circus
Los Angeles, CA
June 2025
The Hive Gallery: 20th anniversary
Los Angeles, CA
May 2025
GABBA Gallery: Cannibal Flower
Los Angeles, CA
April 2025
Black Box Gallery: Vision: Shadow and Light exhibition
Portland, Oregon
February 2025
2024:
10 group exhibitions including:
The Holy Art Gallery: Paris
Paris, FR
November 2024
The Hive Gallery: Cute and Creepy
Los Angeles, CA
October 2024
Tag Gallery: The Art of Music
Los Angeles, CA
September 2024
ArtBarLA:Animal Kingdom
Los Angeles, CA
Aug/Sep 2024
bG gallery: Spectrum Gestalt
Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA
July 2024
Made in the USA: Let Freedom Ring
Juror: Edward Goldman
Winner: Award of Excellence in Painting
Los Angeles, CA
July/Aug 2024
Tag Gallery: Iconic USA Architecture
Los Angeles, CA
July 2024
Beverly Hills Art Show
Beverly Hills, CA
May 2024
2023:
Gallery 825: The New Baroque
Los Angeles, CA
October 2023
The Holy Art Gallery: Aphorism
London, England, UK
June/July 2023
The Holy Art Gallery: Art on a Loop
London, England, UK & Athens, Greece
June 2023
The Holy Art Gallery: Reflections
London, England, UK
May/June 2023
Tag Gallery: Human Form, Mind/Body/Soul
Los Angeles, CA - Apr 5-May 26 2022
2022:
17 group exhibitions including:
Tag Gallery: Small Works.
Los Angeles, CA - Dec 2022
The Hive Gallery: Master Blasters of Sculpture 14
Los Angeles, CA - Nov 2022
The Hive Gallery: Monster Mash
Los Angeles, CA - Oct 2022
Tag Gallery: Freestyle
Los Angeles, CA - Oct 2022
The Hive Gallery: The Vision Train
Los Angeles, CA - August 2022
The Hive Gallery: Music
Los Angeles, CA - July 2022
Tag Gallery: The Outsiders
Los Angeles, CA - July 2022
Fusion Art : 4th Annual Into the Wild Exhibition(Juried, Online)
Santa Fe, NM- March -June 2022
Tag Gallery: Weird Science
Los Angeles, CA - February 2022
Dab Art Co:
People Are Starting To Notice
(Juried) Photography Exhibition
February - April 2022
Tag Gallery: Disruption
Los Angeles, CA - January 2022
2021:
14 group exhibitions including:
Artavita: Artist of the Year 2021 Competition
Chosen as one of the Artists of the Year
December 2021
M.A.D.S. Gallery: HYSTERICA
Fuerteventura, Canarias Islas & Milan, Italy - November 2021
Tag Gallery: Proud
Los Angeles, CA - June 2021
Fusion Art : 3rd Annual Lines, Shapes & Objects Art Exhibition(Juried, Online)
Palm Springs - June 2021
Kunsthaus RoZig: Blau.
Virtual Gallery. June 2021
Gallery 825: Apocrypha.
Los Angeles, CA - May 2021
Tag Gallery: Body Politic.
Los Angeles, CA - Jan 2021
2020:
8 group exhibitions including:
Tag Gallery: Small Works.
Los Angeles, CA - Dec 2020
Gallery 825: Non sequitur
Los Angeles, CA - August/Sep 2020
Gallery 825: Exalted One (Online exhibition)
Los Angeles, CA - August 2020
Tag Gallery: Virtually Unlimited
Los Angeles, CA - July 2020
Brittany Davis Gallery: Art is Life
online exhibition - July 2020
2019:
Blue 7 Gallery: Transportation
Santa Monica, CA - April/May 2019
Blue 7 Gallery: Magic in Nature
Santa Monica, CA - June/July 2019
2018:
Blue 7 Gallery: Ordinary to Extraordinary
Santa Monica, CA - March/April 2018
Blue 7 Gallery: Mysterious World
Santa Monica, CA - May/June 2018
Blue 7 Gallery: Music in Art
Santa Monica, CA - Aug/Sep 2018
Blue 7 Gallery: It’s a Celebration
Santa Monica, CA - Dec 2018
2017:
Blue 7 Gallery: Light and Shadow
Santa Monica, CA - Dec 2017
2015:
Otis College of Art and Design Senior Exhibition
Los Angeles, Ca - - May 2015
Beecaso: Save the Bees exhibition
Pasedena, CA - Sep 2015
2014:
11 group exhibitions including:
The MUZEO Museum, Andrew Carnegie Gallery
Anaheim, CA – March 2014
Otis College of Art and Design, Senior Exhibition: Enneagram
Los Angeles, Ca - - Fall 2014
2013:
12 group exhibitions including:
Gallery Sev Ven: One year Anniversary show
Huntington Beach. CA - May 2013
KCRW's Edward Goldman mention on radio: Otis College of Art and Design: Seventy-Four(74)
May 2013
Warehouse of Contemporary Art: 10 Year Anniversary show
Anaheim, CA – Dec 2013
2012:
33 group exhibitions including:
DADA: Entartete Kunst III
Downtown Los Angeles, CA Feb 2012
2nd st. Cigar Lounge and Gallery (Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk)
Feb 2012 - Aug 2014
Gallery Sev Ven: Gallery opening gala
Huntington Beach, CA
The Think Tank Gallery, L’art Pour L’art: The Painted Dot
Los Angeles, CA - June 2012
Rochester Art House, Figure Model Appreciation Gala
Westwood, CA - June 2012
the Hive Gallery: Masters of Body Paint
Los Angeles, CA - August 2012
RawArtists: Radiance, The Key Club
Hollywood, CA - August 2012
Rochester Art House, Humans Make Art: Leo group show
Westwood, CA - August 2012
The Hive Gallery: The Rise of Cthulu
Los Angeles, CA - October 2012
Otis College of art and Design: Open-house for Sculpture
DADA: Entartete Kunst 4
Downtown Los Angeles, CA - December 2012
Warehouse of Contemporary Art
Anaheim, CA - December 2012
2011:
Barrette Art Gallery: The Food Show
Santa Monica, CA - May 2011
Other:
Managing Director: TAG Gallery
(2024-)
Radio Korea(International Radio)
(Guest speaker, interview)
(February 2024)
Board of Directors: TAG Gallery
(2022-)
Heavy Metal Artwork: Horned
(UK publication, book)
August 2022
Los Angeles Art Association: Volume 4
August 2022
The Muse Evolution Podcast
Interview: The Art of Dekay
May 2022
Artavita: Artist of the Year 2021 Competition
Chosen as one of the Artists of the Year
December 2021
Los Angeles Times(Interview):
Review: A beautiful chaos: The art of David Stewart Klein
by Regina Weber
September 2021
VoyageLA(interview):
Rising star: Meet David Stewart Klein
August 2021
Society of Illustrators Los Angeles
Associate
(2020-)
Los Angeles Art Association(LAAA)
Member
(2020-)
LA Art Documents feature documentary: Welcome to the New World; As It’s Always Been
(Summer 2020)
TAG Gallery
Represented Artist
(2020-)
ARTslanT: Winner in the 3rd 2012 Showcase competition
(May 2012)
Radio Sancho (Guest speaker on Internet Radio)
(April 2012)
Mentioned on:
LA Times
Muzeo.org
Artillery Magazine
VoyageLA
OCWeekly
DiversionsLA
Beverly Hills Courier
Black and White Magazine(Photography)
MADS Gallery(Italy/Spain)
LAartparty.com
WOCA.com
Society of Illustrators Los Angeles
Tag Gallery
Los Angeles Art Association
Life
David Stewart Klein is an American artist, born in NYC raised in the borough of Queens to two professional traveling musicians. He is a 4th generation visual artist on his mothers side.
David Stewart Klein is the son of late Kenneth Klein, an internationally acclaimed symphony conductor, Music Director, and recording artist. His mother was a child prodigy pianist whom at her peak, was based in Los Angeles and Vienna, Austria.
Klein spent much of his childhood and teenage years teaching himself the styles he loved and expressing himself through drawing and painting. His first education was at age 8 at the Roslyn School of Fine Art in New York where he developed his interests and skills in painting, charcoal, and pastel. During this time he was influenced by Norman Rockwell and close friend, Ronald Workman, a New York based artist.
Prior to his next educational experience, He became enamored by certain comic book artists such as Todd McFarlane, Greg Capullo, Michael Turner, cartoonist Jim Davis and caricaturist Al Hirschfeld, and he soon began to create his own comics and characters. Not long after this he found his first mentor, comic book artist Christian Torres who inspired him to go forward with his dreams for several years. During high school, Klein and his family left New York and moved permanently to Los Angeles, CA.
During his 3rd year in high school, Klein was selected to attend a course at the Young Artist Studio at Otis College of Art and Design, taught by influential artist Franklyn Liegel.
After high school, Klein attended Santa Monica College and found his love of Fine Art and eventually decided to attend Otis to finish his BFA Degree. During his time in college he fell in love with the works of Van Gogh, Salvador Dali, Zdzislaw Beksiński, Gustave Dore, comic book artists Möebius and Frank Miller, and developed a love for Japanese ink drawing.
Before beginning undergrad studies at Otis, Klein became adamant about starting his exhibiting career and decided to venture into the Los Angeles scene without any contacts. From meeting people at openings he began to plant seeds and stir up noise about his unseen talent and was soon offered a spot in a largely attended show in Downtown Los Angeles by a group called DADA.
This immediately caught the attention of several art curators and gallery owners and in the following months accumulated exhibitions in areas all over Los Angeles and the neighboring Orange County.
By the end of the year, 2012, Klein had participated in nearly 40 group exhibitions, and by the time he earned his BFA from Otis, he had participated in over 60.
In the year 2019, at age 27, after an 8 year career, Klein held his first solo exhibition, Reflections in Santa Monica, California at the Blue 7 Gallery featuring 60 pieces of art, a survey into his work throughout his career, dominantly work of the last 2 years.
In July 2020, Tag Gallery hosted his second solo exhibition; Welcome to the New World: As It's Always Been, one of the very early shows in Los Angeles to directly respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in person, a show which was documented in a 12 minute film by film-making duo LA Art Documents.
His follow up, 3rd solo exhibition in summer 2021, A Beautiful Chaos, dealt directly with the madness, disunity and unity, isolation, and conflict of social values which were rampant and ever-present issues of crisis caused by the pandemic.
In Spring 2022, Klein held his fourth solo exhibition, They Look Back, which dealt with grief, uncertainty and the tail end of the pandemic.
In fall 2023, after taking a 4 month period to travel and work abroad on his artwork, Klein returned with his wildly successful As the People Pass By. This solo exhibition focused on intimate and intense portraiture capturing fleeting moments with people he encountered abroad, offering the viewers an insight into the process of a traveling artist “out in the wild”.
In February 2024, Klein exhibited his intended final solo exhibition for a while, his 6th conceptual installment: The Form. This exhibition, which spanned efforts made over 5 years was his largest exhibition to date, covering 14 gallery walls with over 70 works of art, primarily oil paintings and 1.5 walls dedicated to drawings. The exhibition was written up by art critic Genie Davis titled: Timeless and Inclusive Exploration of the Human Body in David Stewart Klein’s The Form. Klein celebrated this as his greatest curation yet, as it seamlessly merged “a symphony of different voices and interpretations of the human body” into one singular experience.
Summer 2024, Tag Gallery held Made in the USA, with KCRWs own art critic Edward Goldman as the juror and curator. It was decided that Klein would win the Award of Excellence in Painting. The painting, a highly controversial piece titled: “U.S. President, 21st century”, brought a direct expression of the artist receiving the news the President Donald Trump was convicted as the first U.S. president to be convicted of a felony. Klein has said, “This is not a politically driven piece, it is a historical one. I am interested in history, thus the title of the work.”
In Autumn 2024, Klein left the U.S. for “a period of deep personal and cultural exploration”, in which he traveled throughout Europe for over 6 months, both working in deepening his musical language, but also developed his linguistic aptitude, while participating in art projects and exhibitions along the way.
Klein experience great struggle on his journey, contracting several infections which impacted him greatly. This became a driving force of his musical and artistic expression over the next year. Upon his return to the U.S. in late spring 2025, Klein began participating in many group exhibitions in Los Angeles, and nationwide. He was given his first Feature exhibition at The Hive Gallery in August 2025. A planned exhibition focusing on classic movie monsters, symbolically shifting some of Kleins artistic efforts more to his roots in comics, animation, and film.
David Stewart Klein has been in over 140 exhibitions nationally and internationally including London, Paris, Athens, Italy and Spain. He has been interviewed and written up by Los Angeles Times and VoyageLA.
His artwork has been featured in multiple publications. He is often featured in group and solo exhibitions at the Tag Gallery in Los Angeles where he serves as a member of the Board of Directors. Klein has artwork on permanent display at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center and has work in private collections internationally. He has gained entry into many juried competitions nationally and his work was displayed at Andrew Carnegie Gallery, at the Muzeo in Anaheim.
photo taken for OCweekly.com. Kleins artwork on display at the Muzeo in Anaheim, WOCA 10 year anniversary.
Taggallery.net
RawArtist, for 2012 exhibition at the legendary Key Club on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.