Burley Stokes, under the pseudonym Velnias, is a queer multidisciplinary artist with a background in fashion design, illustration and performance art. Growing up watching his grandfather, a Lithuanian immigrant named Albert, painting anything and everything he had ever seen, encouraged young Burley to follow his passion in the arts.
At 18 years old, Burley graduated college with a Bachelors in Applied Fashion and Illustration, and proceeded to utilize those skills to become a celebrated performance artist in the Sydney nightlife scene for over a decade, collaborating with international performance artists such as the Legendary ClubKid James St James.
In 2023, Burley entered the Archibald Prize for the first time, and later that year, was a finalist in the Burwood Art Prize.
Burley's main interest is Portraiture, using acrylics and oils, as well as found and recycled paints and canvases. Often for larger works, Burley will fabricate and stretch his own canvases and frames.