David Copeland, (PhD Researcher)

I am practice based PhD researcer at Ulster University, where my doctoral research, The Empathetic Gaze: The Visual Languages of Empathy, investigates the relationship between the act of looking and the cultivation of empathy.

I completed my Master of Fine Art in Photography with distinction in 2020, following a First-Class Honours degree in Photography from Ulster University in 2017.

My photographic Art practice operates at the intersection of conceptual and documentary methodologies, examining states of mind, notions of place, and the physical and psychological boundaries that define liminal experiences. Balancing both commissioned and self-initiated projects, my work seeks to engage with the complexities of human perception and emotional connection.

My work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions and is represented in both public and private collections.