SLART AKA Steven Light

Artistic background

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. Through my art, I reveal and disarm human issues. I intertwine Memento Mori, spiritual themes and heavy influences from the 1980s and 1990s pop culture I grew up in, including music, video games, WWF wrestling, basketball, action movie stars and cartoons from that era.

My primary mediums are oils or acrylic on large canvases and 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.