Stephen Thorpe paints interiors, where rooms are likened to the psychological interiors of the mind. Drawing on psychoanalysis, sociology, folklore, and the reality of myth, Thorpe’s intricately composed paintings are at once representational and abstract, deliberately rendered to represent the dualities, synergies, and contradictions of relation between environment and human interiority. Such nuances are present in all aspects of the work – from his painterly process, with visceral and physical applications of paint paired with contemplative, controlled marks; to the chosen subject matter, encompassing busy patterns, half-familiar objects, and skewed perspectives juxtaposed with quiet, singular planes of color.
Born in Margate, England but raised in Aberdeen, Scotland, Stephen Thorpe studied painting at the Royal College of Art in London and was a Professor of Painting at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Hong Kong and Atlanta, GA before relocating to New York and then California. Thorpe’s recent solo exhibitions include “The Last Word Always Belongs to the Mountain” at Ora Ora in Hong Kong (2025); and “Dream House” at DIMIN in New York (2024) which was named a “Must-See” by Artsy and Art Net. Thorpe has participated in group exhibitions around the world at venues including Saatchi Gallery, London; the National Museum, Gdansk, Poland; Copeland Gallery, London; Summerhall, Edinburgh; the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh; and Aberdeen Art Gallery, Aberdeen. His work has been featured in The New Yorker, The Art Newspaper, Widewalls, Art Net News, Artnews, Hyperallergic, Surface Magazine, and Lifestyle Asia, among others.