May 2025 marks another milestone for enigmatic artist David Beschi. Turning 84 and with an unanticipated exhibition, the now-private painter revisits The Bus People, a signature artwork he created well over a decade ago, that is permanently on show at Lost Bear Gallery. In this new show, Beschi delves further into his observations on urban existence, using bus commuters as the vessel.

Beschi’s mastery with watercolour is unquestionable. A sense of nostalgia permeates through these new paintings, with muted greys and bleeding brown washes evoking the likeness of faded photographs from an earlier time. Sketchy and undefined at first glance, he presents his subjects using a deceptively simple technique. An absence of detail seems oddly appropriate for his subjects; the bus people in question are not intended to be identifiable. They are anonymous figures; Jane and John Does. Yet perhaps we recognise them.

In a modern world caught up in the throes of chaos and insecurity, for many, isolation has overtaken connection. With a lifetime of experiences, Beschi reminds us to see the individual within the crowd. He imbues his subjects with personality, portraying them as real people, each with a story to tell. Where have they been? Where are they going? Why are they on the titular bus?