Daniel Pettitt's paintings navigate a nuanced terrain of allusive and speculative abstraction, inviting viewers to engage with a rich tapestry of visual and cultural references. Drawing from a diverse array of sources, including theatrical signage, modernist poetry, queer slang, and post-conceptual art, his work becomes a dynamic interplay of ideas and forms.

Each piece reflects a sensitivity to the fluctuations of index and fragment, allowing disparate elements to coexist in a state of tension and dialogue. The interplay of metaphor and memory is palpable; Pettitt crafts environments where semblance is both constructed and deconstructed, prompting contemplation of how meaning is shaped and reshaped over time.

Through the use of colour, texture, and compositional strategies, his works evoke a range of moods, where images congeal and dissolve into provisional fields and partial images, reflecting the transient nature of perception itself. This approach not only challenges traditional notions of representation but also invites viewers to actively participate in the interpretive process, making meaning through their own associations and experiences. In essence, Pettitt's paintings serve as a meditation on the fluidity of visual language, revealing the complexities of how we perceive and interact with the world around us.

Recent selected solo and two person exhibitions include Coat Heel Throat, Recent Activity, Birmingham (2023); Skeleton Tree, CCA Brighton, The University of Brighton (2023); Granite and Rainbow, PALFREY, London (2019) and D.A.S.E.I.T.N.S., Attercliffe™, Sheffield (2018). Selected group exhibitions include Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, KARST, Plymouth, toured to University of Brighton (2024); British Art at Albemarle, Paul Smith, London (2023); Queer Frontiers, 1 Walker’s Court, London (2023); Cuckoo, Freelands Foundation, London (2023); Host and Guest / Nick Stewart and Friends, PALFREY, London (2022); A Generous Space, Hastings Contemporary, Hastings (2021); PULP, The Florence Trust, London (2021); YOUR FOOT IN MY FACE and other tectonic strategies, Kingsgate Project Space, London (2021); small, Angela de la Cruz Studio, London (2021); DARK LANTERN, Galerie Sabine Kunst, Munich (2019); Not Dream of Islands, PALFREY, London (2018); Heads Roll, Graves Gallery, Sheffield Museum, Sheffield (2018); Malevolent Eldritch Shrieking, Attercliffe™ Sheffield (2018).

Pettitt has has worked as a lecturer in Fine Art Painting at The Art Academy, London (2018) as well as a visiting lecturer at The Royal College of Art, Bath Spa University, Chelsea School of Art, and Oxford Brookes. He was the Freelands Painting Fellow at The University of Brighton (2022). He is currently a Lecturer in Fine Art Painting at The University of Brighton (2024 - present).

His work is held in collections including: Soho House, London; Paul Smith Ltd, London; Bath Spa University; The Royal College of Art, London; various private collections in the UK, China, Germany, Italy, Canada and the USA.