THE work of David Blackburn is once again on show in his home town.

The Huddersfield-born artist is internationally renowned and his work is represented in collections such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

“While few exhibitions of David’s work have ever been held in his home town, he has had numerous books and documentaries made on his work,” said Mike Baggs of AC Gallery in Byram Street, Huddersfield.

David was born in Huddersfield and lived and worked for many years from his home in Crosland Moor.

Despite long spells as a visiting lecturer, artist and professor in both Australia and America, David has always been rooted in Huddersfield “David now lives in a retirement home and no longer paints,” said Mike. “We are delighted to have access to his amazing collection of work.

AC Gallery’s new summer exhibition opened at the weekend and some of David’s paintings lie at its heart.

“David is one of Huddersfield’s most celebrated artists who has had a remarkable career in art via galleries worldwide,” said Mike.

“His work has been called ‘unique, of haunting beauty and spiritual power’”.

The gallery is also showing work by a number of other artists including Tony Huggins-Haig, who is described as one of the up and coming modern British contemporary artists.

“His work is already collected by Tony Blair, Alex Salmond and well known artist and presenter Rolf Harris,” said Mike.

“We have five of Tony’s wonderful originals in our show.”

Tony Huggins-Haig was born in the fishing village of Boulmer on the north-east coast.

On his website, he says that as a youngster he was told that people from a council estate didn’t become artists, they got proper jobs which they went on to work to until they retired.

Having taken this advice on board Tony has laboured, been in the army, funded himself for the main part through University cleaning windows, before becoming a successful entrepreneur.

“On his journey through life, whatever Tony was doing at any given point, he painted and recorded events,” says the website.

“The most important thing to an artist is to find their own style and once found to develop it into a style that is recognisable universally.”

Tony lives in the Scottish borders and his bold canvases often focus on working environments and working people.

The AC Gallery exhibition includes work by other artists from the area including Peter Brook, Darren Baker, Tony Burton, Steve Capper, and John Ormsby.

The current collection of work by David Blackburn and others will run until September 1.

It will be followed from September 15 by an exhibition devoted to the work of the late Peter Brook.

The work of the Brighouse artist has become a big draw for AC Gallery and each autumn it dedicates its entire space to his paintings.