Steve Harris was born in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1953 and is now located in Australia, continuing to exhibit in both countries. He is a self-taught artist whose reputation as an outstanding hyper-realist is evidenced by the rare availability and high demand for his laboriously detailed work.

Harris began exhibiting through group shows from 1978 and was accorded solo exhibitions from the early 1980s. Testament to his virtuosity, Steve won the Montana art award in 1984. His most prestigious award was won in 1991, The ACTA Maritime Award in Sydney, Australia.

Working in acrylics, watercolours and pencil, Harris is inspired by the beauty he finds in everyday objects. From kitchen utensils and fruit and vegetables to abandoned vehicles and buildings, all of Harris’s subject matter is imbued with new life as he strives to achieve stunning qualities of hue and light. Indeed, his works have been described as ‘meditations in light’.

Harris’s paintings are typically unpeopled, being more concerned with the effects of human life and the symbols of human existence.

Harris’ work is found in numerous private collections in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and New Zealand. They include the McDougall Public Art Gallery collection, Christchurch; the BHP collection, Melbourne; the McIntosh collection, Melbourne; the Australian Wheat Board collection, Melbourne; the Baring Securities collection, Sydney; the NZ Skellerup Corporation collection; and Huka Lodge, Taupo, New Zealand.

Source:
Website of Jonathan Grant Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand, 2020