​NZAFA – Academy Prize for Visual Art - Wellington, NZ - Finalist - August 2025

 

Immerse yourself in the captivating world of Stephen Burke, where light, colour, and form intertwine to create mesmerising visual experiences. Through the employment of mirrors, he infuses his artwork with luminous refracted light and boundless reflections.​

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Stephen finds inspiration in the vibrant colours and intricate shapes encountered during extensive travels through Egypt, the Mediterranean, and Europe. While living in Barcelona he was influenced by the visionary works of Gaudi, whose mastery of colour and shape, particularly in ‘Sagrada Familia’, continues to inspire. The artist Matisse is another source of inspiration, most particularly the collage style of art from his later years. Always having a love of the natural world, nature also offers endless form and colour that inspire Stephen’s artistic development, moving from his early predominantly architectural forms to shapes that although still structured have organic forms. Driven by a passion for geometry and symmetry, he weaves elements of structure and form into his art, inviting viewers to explore the dynamic interplay between elements such as light, colour, shape, and reflections.​

 

Plywood sculptures with multiple layers of reflective acrylic mirrors, draw viewers into infinite depths. The hand-painted panels offer endless possibilities of design and colour.​

 

Navigating the complexities of acrylic fabrication, the acrylic sculptures follow and expand on the themes and design elements first seen in the plywood sculptures. Translucent panels offer an additional dynamic and reflect Stephen’s passion for colour and reflection in his art works.

 

Through his geometric compositions, Stephen invites you to experience the joy of colour and form.