Hi, my name is Steven Hall. I'm an oil painter based in Naarm (Melbourne) Australia. I'd like to tell you a bit about why I love painting and what inspires me. My first influences were friends and artists. I pour my heart and soul into my work and I'm incredibly privileged to have a wonderful, supportive family who understand my dream of working as a professional visual artist. I started out making paintings for Mum and Dad, friends and family. When I was a student at ACU Fitzroy, I really was the cliche of a starving, impoverished artist making art for art's sake! But I wouldn't change a thing, as these experiences are all part of the person I am today. I had amazing teachers at ACU, whose words and guidance still resonate with me. Whilst a student, I spent a lot of time visiting galleries, libraries and museums. I love visiting art galleries to this day for inspiration and ideas. I am inspired by the Japanese ideal of Ikigai, the teachings of Buddhism and the European philosophical canon, particularly ancient Greek philosophers and thinkers like Marcus Aurelius, Aristotle and Lucretius. I paint in any subject and style, but I prefer realist landscape, portraiture, surreal and figurative work. Seeing artwork at the Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain has had a strong and lasting influence on me. I have recently been working on intricate symbols and motifs from classical art reimagined in a contemporary, surrealistic setting, for example vanitas motifs: the skull, flower and time painted together, outside of the confines of realism. I have a longstanding love of the everyday, and I paint from experience, life and memory. Everyday art includes paintings of and from my beloved city of Melbourne, cityscapes, scenes of buildings and urban life. Influences cross boundaries of style, discipline and genre: the Yokai, Caravaggio, Salvador Dali, The tale of the Elden Ring, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, William Shakespeare, PJ Harvey, Ron Mueck and more. Contact for details if you're interested in a free quote. Thanks for your time. -Steven
Message me about a commission or feel free to browse my available artwork. I hope you like my art, and I'd love to answer any queries you may have.
Steve