Stephen Williams’ cityscapes and figurative works give visual form to the complexities of contemporary life. His main subject is the modern city - dark, seductive, beguiling.
Born and raised in Albury NSW, the Sydney based artist paints as an outsider looking in. His use of atmospheric colours, fractured lines and areas almost devoid of articulation combine to convey a sense of dislocation.
The artist’s figurative works move indoors and are a calm counterpoint to the energy of his cityscapes. These are quiet interior scenes of lone women, as alluring and restless as the city outside.
With a fascination for twilight and darkness, and often blurring the boundary between representation and abstraction, Williams’ work infuses drama, tension and personality.
He has been a finalist in many significant art prizes including the Paddington, Lethbridge 20000 and Korea-Australia Arts Foundation Prizes. His works are held in private collections both nationally and internationally.
“My art is a visual diary, a very personal record of my thoughts and emotions, viewed through the detached lens of depersonalisation.
My interest lies in the torment of the human experience. I am intrigued by the contrasts and contradictions; glamour and grit, beauty and decadence, loveliness and loneliness.
To me, the work represents a search for belonging, identity and sense of place."