Born in São Pedro do Sul, David de Almeida attended the Lithographer’s Course at the Escola Artística António Arroio (1964-1965), studied metal engraving at Gravura — Cooperativa de Gravadores Portugueses (1970-1971), under the guidance of Maria Gabriel, and Holography at Goldsmith College, University of London.

He obtained a grant from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (1978-1980, 1982 and 1984) and did practical training at the Mills of the Lagat Valley (Auvergne, France) and at Atelier 17 (Paris) with Stanley Hayter.

After his artistic training in the 1980s, he created his own engraving method using stone paste and expanded clay.

David de Almeida has regularly exhibited his artistic works, both collectively and individually, in Portugal and abroad since the 1970s. Of his solo exhibitions, the most noteworthy are those held at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation — David de Almeida (1981 and 1986), as well as the anthological exhibitions held at Palácio Galveias (2010 and 2011).

He participated in several group exhibitions, including those organized and/or held at Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation: 20 years of printmaking (1976); Portuguese culture in Madrid (Palacio de Congresos, Madrid, 1977); I and II national printmaking exhibitions (1977 and 1979); Portuguese contemporary engravings, 1970-80 (Guinness Visitors Centre, Dublin, 1984); III Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation plastic arts exhibition (1986); Portuguese contemporary engravings, 1970-1983 (travelling exhibition, 1986); Portuguese contemporary engravings 1970-1983 (Stockholm, 1988); Portuguese contemporary engravings 1970-1983 (Stockholm, 1988) . itinerant, 1986); Portuguese contemporary engravings, 1970-1988′ (Stockholm, 1988) curated by José Sommer Ribeiro; and 1/150 engraving and multiplying — engravings from the collection of the Centro de Arte Moderna of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Casa da Cerca — Contemporary Art Centre, 2009).

He has also participated in several fine arts biennials, including the Portuguese representation at the XVII São Paulo Biennial (1983).

In the 1990s, David de Almeida performed a series of public art projects abroad: “Conceição” station on the São Paulo metro network; in Macau, where he spent part of 1996; and in Portugal, such as the design of the Cabo Ruivo station, inaugurated in 1998.

His work is represented in various national and international public collections, including Centro de Arte Moderna of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation; Museu de Serralves; Circulo de Bellas Artes (Madrid, Spain); Museu Nacional de Gravura (Madrid, Spain); Biblioteca Nacional de Paris (France); Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Kendall Whalling Museum (Massachusetts, United States); and the Baghdad Museum of Modern Art (Iraq).

He has been recognised with several awards, including: the Gold Medal of the Association of Spanish Printmakers (Madrid, 1977); the Grand Prize for Printmaking — Vila Nova de Cerveira Biennial (1982); the Acquisition Prize of the III Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation plastic arts exhibition (1986); the National Printmaking Prize — Museum of Contemporary Spanish Printmaking (Spain, 1999); and the Jesús Núñez — Betanzos International Graphic Art Prize (Spain, 2006).

In 2020, the artist’s documental archive, made up of notebooks and diaries with notes, sketches, studies and drawings, dossiers with public art projects, photo albums, books, albums, postcards, was donated to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Art Library.