Brian Keith Stephens
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Brian Keith Stephens | |
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Western Connecticut State University |
| Occupation | American Artist |
Biography
Born to Robert Gordon Stephens and Frances Theresa (Stephens) Korn, Brian’s family moved around from Washington, California, South Carolina, and New York before settling in the quaint town of North Stonington, Connecticut in 1983. Brian’s father worked as an engineering specialist at General Dynamics Electric Boat, a submarine design and production corporation, while his mother Frances Theresa was an Autism Specialist Paraprofessional.
During his first year at Western Connecticut State University, Brian discovered his passion for art and decided to pursue it. He began his artistic journey as a photographer, spending countless hours in the university's darkroom. Seeking to hone his skills, Brian enrolled at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, where he eventually obtained his master's degree in 1998. There, he continued to explore photography, experimenting with new techniques and even gaining access to the darkroom at nearby Connecticut College. In 1996, Brian presented his first exhibition, Virgin Works, at a venue in Mystic, Connecticut.
At the Lyme Academy is where Stephens shifted away from fine art photography and developed an interest in painting. He furthered his education by attending the Academie de la Grande Chaumier in Paris, France. In 2004, Stephens received a MFA in Painting from the City College of New York. His art has been featured in over 100 exhibitions internationally since 1996.
Style
Brian Keith Stephens artwork is the culmination of his lifelong fascination with animals. He draws inspiration from a variety of cultural traditions and historical periods, using his art to explore the complex ways in which animals have been mythologized and anthropomorphized throughout human history. His highly figurative paintings often feature animals in surreal or fantastical settings, evoking the imaginative worlds of fables, folk tales, and legends. As an artist, Stephens has a deep passion for his craft and a desire to share it with others. He is known for his romantic and nostalgic paintings, which frequently depict soft and gentle creatures. His artwork is a reflection of his everyday life, and he allows his world to dictate what he paints
Stephens expresses, “Growing up in Connecticut, I have always found animals as a vessel for depicting human emotion; I believe in many ways animals are capable of expressing human emotions in a way that is both understandable, mysterious and alluring.” For the artist, animals serve as a medium of communication and expression, giving him the ability to convey a range of emotions through his artwork.
Brian Stephens is renowned for his large-scale canvases that feature expressive, bold brushstrokes. He employs a cold wax medium to masterfully layer paint and capture scenes from his life, bringing them back to life on the canvas. The act of experimenting with paint inspires Stephens, and he applies it in a sporadic yet precise manner. He uses large brushes and palette knives as his preferred tools and doesn't fully comprehend what he is painting until he's completed the artwork. It's as if he's attempting to unleash something deep within himself, and painting is his only outlet. As a storyteller, Brian's paintings capture life's most poignant moments, both good and bad, at a pace that is both fast and slow, for all to admire.
Exhibitions
2021 “almost true tales”, Hugo Galerie, NYC 2021 “almost true tales”, Nichols College, MA 2021 “kiss and fly”, M Fine Arts, Boston, MA 2021 “almost true tales”, Lyman Allyn Art Museum, New London, CT 2020 “a kind of magic”, Punto Sull’Arte, Varese, Italy 2020 “butterfly disco”, Rochester Museum of Fine Arts, Rochester, NH 2019 “like a song I heard the other day”with Pola Esther, DaSilva Gallery, New Haven, CT 2019 “so faraway, so close”, Galeria Ornament, Warsaw, Poland 2019 “butterfly disco”, M Fine Arts, Boston, MA 2019 “pool party”, Hugo Galerie, NYC 2018 “sexy cats and lazy lovers”, M Fine Arts, Palm Beach, FL 2017 "run with me baby", Hugo Galerie, NYC 2017 "party animals", M Fine Arts, Boston, MA 2016 "i believe in miracles", Sirona, Hallandale, FL 2015 "palm tree secrets", Ober Gallery, Kent, CT 2015 "my lucky charm", Ludington Gallery, Old Lyme, CT 2014 "adam and eve. news from paradise” with Pola Esther, Nuance Art Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria 2014 "the fox and the pineapple”, Sirona, Hallandale, FL 2014 "to catch the butterfly”, Lyman Allyn Art Museum, New London, CT
Major Works
Almost True Tales
In February 2021, Brian Keith Stephens debuted his major work, "Almost True Tales," at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London, CT. The exhibition showcased a selection of paintings that drew inspiration from historical myths, such as Aesop's Fables. Stephens' artwork blurred the lines between reality and imagination, inviting viewers to contemplate how stories shape our perception of the world. When asked about his inspiration for the show and its title, the artist remarked, "At the center of my work and life are these fascinations with myth, the spectrum of human passion, our kinship to the spirit of the wild animal, and the challenges of balancing the real with the fanciful." Sam Quigley, the Director at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum, shared his enthusiasm for the exhibition, saying “No stranger to many aficionados beyond these climes, Stephens has shown his work frequently in New York, Palm Beach, Boston, Provincetown and other American cities, as well as in many important venues in Europe. Clearly, he is getting the widespread recognition he deserves, and we are very pleased to be able to share this cohesive body of work in our intimate galleries.” The artist is releasing a book under the same title, Almost True Tales, in May of 2023.
Garlic and Gasoline
Brian Keith Stephens will be exhibiting his new show, Garlic and Gasoline, with Punto Sull’Arte in Varese, Italy, in May 2023. The show presents Stephens’ renewed perspective on nature through depictions of uninhabited landscapes, still lifes, and diverse representations of animal form. The enigmatic and playful title of the show relates to the contrasting yet coexisting energies of organic and mechanical elements, both intense and passionate, similar to the love for good food and exquisite cars.
Personal Life
Stephens currently divides his time between Old Lyme, CT, Brooklyn, NY and Łódź, Poland. His two children grew up in Old Lyme, Connecticut and attended school at Yale University. Additionally, he spends several months each year in Northern Italy, participating in an art residency program with Punto Sull’Arte.
Stephens and his wife, Pola Esther, reside in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Esther is a Polish photographer and mixed-media artist whose work explores themes of intimacy, human connection, and the relationship between the body and nature. Her photographs have been exhibited in several countries, including Poland, France, Bulgaria, Germany, China, and the United States, and have been featured in publications such as Harper's Bazaar, Purple Fashion Magazine, S Magazine, Opera Magazine for Classic and Contemporary Nude, Whitelies, and Artforum, among others.
Esther and Stephens collaborate on mixed-media works under the moniker “Faloblu.” They have collaborated on several exhibitions, including "adam and eve. news from paradise (2014)" and "like a song I heard the other day (2019)," among others.
References
External links
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