STEVEN LIGHT, AKA SLART, IS A UK-BASED VISUAL ARTIST
Born June 2, 1982
Currently lives and works in Swindon, Wiltshire.
Email: steve@slart.me
Telephone: +447875693379
BIOGRAPHY
SLART (Steven Light) is a figurative expressionist artist working and living in Swindon, UK. Steven was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent but moved to Marlborough in Wiltshire as a young child. He discovered that he was adopted by his grandparents, which set him on a journey of introspection and connection with his biological father and siblings. He spent a decade living in London, which was a contrast to his small-town upbringing, instilling new perspectives and life experiences in his mindset.
He has always loved drawing since early childhood. A shy and sensitive soul, he would spend many hours alone, drawing images from cartoons and animal books. He is drawn to creating people-centric art because he loves the diversity of people, their stories, problems, issues, baggage, quirks, and personalities.
SLART is also a muralist and has painted multiple outdoor pieces in his town. He’s produced a sizable body of work since moving to an art studio in 2021 and has been part of group exhibitions in the UK and Germany, as well as two well-received UK solo exhibits. One of the solo exhibitions, Fistula, documented his journey living with chronic kidney failure.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a self-taught figurative expressionist who rediscovered my passion for drawing and painting at the age of 37, two decades after my last formal art class. Through my art, I reveal and disarm human issues. I intertwine Memento Mori, spiritual themes and influences from the 1980s and 1990s pop culture I grew up in.
My primary mediums are oils or acrylic on large canvases and sometimes outdoor spaces to make a big impact. I often use reference photos as inspiration, but I aim to create my representation rather than a carbon copy. I paint freely with a rough concept in my mind, allowing it to unfold as I work.
Drawn to a complimentary colour palette, much of my work naturally employs bright or pastel colours on dark backgrounds creating bold statements. Being self-taught allows me to express myself without any preconceived concepts taken from formal art education.
Jean Dubuffet, David Shrigley and Keith Haring are my top three influences. Dubuffet taught me to play by my own rules, that formal art education is not needed and that it’s never too late to start. Shrigley endowed me with humour, authenticity and the confidence to stick to my own style. Haring ignited my love for street art, painting large murals and making art accessible.
EDUCATION
I am a self-taught artist who has studied under:
- Caryn Koh
- Wyanne Thompson
- Rory Walker
- Paul Exton
- Bill Cox
EXHIBITIONS
2024
- March 2024 – Group Exhibition, Affordable Art Fair, New York (Forthcoming).
2023
- February 2023 – Joint Exhibition, Swindon, Wiltshire, UK.
- March 2023 – Group Exhibition, The Holy Art Fair, Oxo Tower, London.
- May 2023 – Group Exhibition, Art and Emotion III – Bank Showroom, Tower 42, London.
- October 2023 – Memento Ludere – Trinity Collective, Swindon.
- November 2023 – Group Exhibition, Dyson, Malmesbury.
- December 2023 – Joint Exhibition with Adam Crosland, Swindon, Wiltshire, UK.
2022
- April 2022 – Group Exhibition, Art for Real at Boomer Gallery, Tower Bridge, London.
- April 2022 – Group Exhibition, Tebb’s Gallery, Virtual Exhibition.
- May 2022 – Solo Exhibition, FISTULA, Artsite & The Post Modern, Swindon.
- August 2022 – Solo Exhibition, The Holy Art, London.
- August 2022-Dec 2022 – Group Exhibition, The Big Art Show, Paisley, Scotland.
- September – Group Exhibition, LiTE-HAUS Galerie, Berlin.
- October 2022 – Solo Exhibition, Attic Brew Co, Bourneville.
2021
- June 2021 – Group Exhibition, Artsite & The Post Modern, Swindon.
- July 2021 – Window Exhibition, Artsite & The Post Modern, Swindon.
- July 2021 – Group Exhibition, Vogue II at Boomer Gallery, Whitechapel, London.
- July 2021 – Wiltshire Creative – Summer Open 2021, Salisbury, Wiltshire.
COLLECTIONS
- Private collection, Marlborough, UK
- Private collection, Swindon, UK
- Private collection, Cornwall, UK
- Private collection, Youlgreave, UK
- Private collection, Market Drayton, UK
- Private collection, Westminster CO
- Alan Koppel Gallery, Chicago, IL