David Sampethai was born in Athens in 1989. He studied Painting and Printmaking at the Glasgow School of Art. He runs the independent publishing house Hideout Editions focusing on artist books.
 
He works across mediums including drawing, writing, music/sound, ceramics, artist books and tapestries, with painting always at the center.  He loves painting the most because he believes that it is the best way to say something you can’t exactly put your finger on.
 
Highly associative, often with a dark sense of humour, and driven by an endless curiosity and a sense of empathy, he creates worlds through a very personal form of storytelling that blurs the lines of narration techniques of different mediums and instigates a productive delay in looking and seeing.
 
His work is deeply layered with references from all across the board.  Kurt Vonnegut and William Burroughs books, Mark Fisher's The Weird and The Eerie, 90s kids films like Honey I Shrunk The Kids, medieval painting and Indian miniature painting, subcultures like rave and punk record covers, rap lyrics, 70s film noir films and many others are all ingrained within his worlds.

B. 1989 Athens, Greece

EDUCATION

2009-2012 Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, UK

Painting & Printmaking Bachelor Honors

2008-2009 Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow UK

Briefly studied architecture

SOLO/DUO EXHIBITIONS

2024

We, The Monster duo show with Malvina Panagiotidi curated by Orestis Andreadakis for the 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, MOMus Experimental Centre for the Arts, Thessaloniki, Greece 

I Ain’t Dead, Just Trying to Hear The Sound of The Earth Spinning Part II, hosted by Eleftheria Tseliou at a former nightclub in Piraeus, Athens, Greece 

I Ain’t Dead, Just Trying to Hear The Sound of The Earth Spinning Part I, Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery, Athens, Greece 

2019-2020

ILL WINDS solo show, Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery, Athens, Greece

2017

Key to the Kuffs solo show, Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery, Athens, Greece 

2015

Two Johns duo show with Antonakis Christodoulou including a soundtrack/audioguide in collaboration with musicians Irene Lyssari and Benjha (Other People), Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery, Athens, Greece

2013-2014

Interzoned solo show including a soundtrack/audioguide in collaboration with electronic music producer Benjha (Other People), Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery, Athens, Greece 

GROUP SHOWS

2025

Salon, Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery and Galerie Max Hetzler, TOSITSA 3, Athens, Greece (16 September – 7 November)

In A Bright Green Field, organized by DESTE Foundation and the New Museum, curated by Gary Carrion-Murayari, Kraus Family Senior Curator at the New Museum, Benaki Museum, Athens, Greece 

The Library Project, curated by Eleftheria Tseliou and scenography by Joy Herro, ALCOVA Milan at Villa Borsani, Milan, Italy 

2024

The Collective Purr, curated by Nadja Argyropoulou, Nobel Building, Athens, Greece 

Odyssey curated by Marilena Koutsoukou, Archaeological Museum of Piraeus, Athens, Greece 

2023

Encore: New Greek Painting curated by Christoforos Marinos, Theophilos Tramboulis and Eleni Koukou, Municipal Gallery of Athens, Athens, Greece 

2022

The Landscape Show, Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery, Athens, Greece 

2019

The Still Life Show, Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery, Athens

Befriending Hyperobjects, Navel, Los Angeles, USA

Ceramics, Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery, Athens, Greece 

Never Below Zero, Snehta Residency, Athens, Greece 

2017

The Library Show, Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery, Athens, Greece 

Multiples, Elefteria Tseliou Gallery, Athens, Greece

2015

Kenophobia, CAN Gallery, Athens, Greece 

2014

Group Show, Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery, Athens, Greece 

2013-2014

RSA Open 2013, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, UK

2013

Royal Scottish Academy New Contemporaries 2013, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, UK

Society of Scottish Artists Open Annual Exhibition 2013, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, UK 

ART FAIRS

2025

Art Athina, Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery booth, Athens 

2024

Art Athina, Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery booth, Athens 

2022

Athens Artbook Fair, Hideout Editions table, Athens Conservatory

Art Athina, Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery booth, Athens 

2018

Art Athina, Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery booth, Athens 

2016

Art Athina, Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery booth, Athens

2014

Art Athina, Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery booth, Athens

RESIDENCIES

2020 Frans Masereel Residency, Frans Masereel Centrum (now renamed Masereel), Belgium

CURATORIAL WORK

2017, The Library Show, an exhibition conceptualized and co-curated with George Hadjimichalis, Kyrillos Sarris and Eleftheria TSeliou at Eleftheria Tseliou Gallery during which the gallery was transformed into an artist book library open to the public hosting artist books by Marcel Duchamp - Richard Hamilton, Gerhard Richter, Nobuyoshi Araki, Gilbert and George, Edward Ruscha, Allan Kaprow, Yannis Tsarouchis, William Kentridge, Richard Hamilton, Dan Flavin, Ito Jakuchu, Ulisses Carrion, Nikos Engonopoulos, Tom Phillips, Robert Filliou, Felix - Gonzales Torres, Wolf Vostel, Anne Carson, Roni Horn, Daynita Singh, Jan Voss, Alexis Akrithakis, Marcel Broodthaers, Arnulf Reiner, Boyle family, Yannis Kefallinos, Jean - Francois Bory, Luis Jacob, Bruno Munari, Hanna Schimek, Tom Wasmuth, Demetrios Galanis, Claes Oldenburg, Christian Boltanski as well as by Antonakis, Stemna Asemi - Christina Tzialla, Maria Efstathiou, Max Eulitz, Iannis Ganas, Maria Georgoula, Ioanna Gouzeli, Kostas Gouzelis, George Hadjimichalis, Markos Kampanis, Apostolos Karastergiou, Peggy Kliafa, Aidan Koch, Ilias Koen, Dimitris Kontos, Andreas Lymberatos, Giannis Michailidis, Margarita Myrogianni, Despoina Nisyriou, Aliki Panagiotopoulou, Nina Papaconstantinou, John Ryaner, David Sampethai, Kyrillos Sarris, Sophia Stavropoulou, Kostas Tsolis, Antonis Vathis, Cube Art Editions, Deste Foundation Publications

AWARDS


2013, Stevenston Painter of Merit Award (5,000 pounds prize) at the RSA New Contemporaries, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, Scotland. 

2013, Invited to exhibit at the RSA New Contemporaries exhibition by the Royal Scottish Academy

2013, Invited to become a graduate member by the SSA (Society of Scottish Artists), Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, Scotland. 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS - PUBLISHING


2025

In a bright green field, fully illustrated catalog published by the DESTE Foundation with new writing by Gary Carrion-Murayari, Athens-based curator and writer Danai Giannoglou, and Nicosia-based curator and writer Ioulita Toumazi

2024

We, The Monster, published by Thessaloniki Film Festival with texts by Carlo Chatrian, Jeffrey J.Cohen, Mona Chollet, Geli Mademli, Nikos Sevastakis, Yorgos Papadimitriou and Orestis Andreadakis

2022-present, Founded and runs artist book publishing house Hideout Editions based in Athens, Greece. So far has published books by Errika Zacharopoulou, Grigoris Thalassinos, Christos Economou and himself