David Silverberg was born in Montreal in 1936. By the age of seven, he was already studying art under the tutelage of Group of Seven master Dr. Arthur Lismer, at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. In 1957, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University. That same year, he studied etching and engraving with William Hayter at Atelier 17 in Paris and was influenced by those around him including Max Ernest, Marc Chagall and Matta. Silverberg soon started to develop a unique, personal style to produce beautiful engravings.

Silverberg’s passion for art and travel is legendary. He has voyaged around the world, visiting and/or living in almost 80 countries. In 1994, he was appointed a member of the Royal Canadian Academy and in 1986, was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London, England. In 1963, David was invited to set up a printmaking department at Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B. and taught there for 32 years (1963 - 1995) before moving to Wolfville, Nova Scotia in 1995.