I am a Sculptor, Painter, Poet and Collaborative Artist. Chance, accident, metaphysical meditation, and associations inform my sculpture. I am sympathetic to Swedenborg’s duality and Gaudier Brzeska’s direct carving process.

All the wood I use is upcycled or comes to me from a small piece of woodland I am lucky enough to be temporary guardian of. When the wood comes to me, I pick up its story and am tasked with taking it beyond the sum of its parts. Nuanced references to the environment are very much part of this.

I am fascinated by the structure of wood as matter incarnate, my role as Sculptor is only one part of a larger story. All my work is hand carved with very minimal use of electric tools. Finishing a sculpture too fast would defeat my purpose of translating the woods subconscious.

Gallery (click to view)

Biography

Stephen Kirin was born in Cambridge in 1966. Between 1985-89 he studied BA Hons Fine Art specialising in Sculpture.

After a period of teaching English as a foreign language in Crete for 2 years, he returned to the UK. His main role became house husband, whilst working part time at Bury St Edmunds Railway Station. Following a pivotal event at work, where he intervened to save a distressed woman’s life, he changed career direction and studied to become a psychiatric nurse. During this period, the full potential of therapeutic interventions often drawing on creative approaches, inspired him to share his speciality within the third sector working with several recovery-focused charities in a voluntary capacity.

In 2017 an opportunity arose to become a self-employed professional artist, which continues until the present day.

1985 – 1986 Foundation course in Fine Art Braintree
1986 – 1989 BA Hons in Sculpture at North East London Polytechnic (now the University of East London)
2007 – 2010 DipHE in Psychiatric Nursing, University Campus Suffolk, Ipswich
2010 – 2013 Director at Noise Solution CIC
2013 – 2016 Trustee at Art heads CIC
2017 – present day self-employed Artist.

Recent Exhibitions
2024-26 Collaborative shows with Lorna Kirin at the Angle Gallery, Bury St Edmunds.
2024 Participation in group show at AKA Gallery, Cambridge.
2023 “A Light Mazed” Stephen’s first volume of illustrated poetry published.
2022 Three collaborative paintings exhibited in the International Exhibition of Surrealism in Cairo, Egypt.
2022 Collaborative painting with Lorna Kirin exhibited with The Society of Wildlife Artists at the Mall Galleries in London.
2020 – present Suffolk Open Studios members exhibitions and open studios.
2019 Article 25, 10 x 10 Drawing the City Charity Art Auction, London.
2018-2023 Battersea Affordable Art fair with London Contemporary Art Gallery.
2018 Joint show with Lorna Kirin in Ashdown Gallery, Forest Row, East Sussex.
2016 Collaborative exhibition with Lorna Kirin, Exchange Gallery, Saffron Walden.
2015 Portobello Film Festival, screening of “Multi Story Egg” produced and directed by Stephen Kirin.

Stephen has regularly published poetry and artworks in several periodicals including Patricide, Peculiar Mormyrid, Lithaire and La Vertebre et le Rossignol.

Instagram @kirinstephen
Website: www.stephenkirin.com
Linkedin: Stephen Kirin
Facebook: Stephen Kirin. Painting, Sculpture, Writing
Email: stephen.kirin@googlemail.com

To enquire about the availability or price of an artwork on this page, please contact the artist directly via the links above, or by using the contact form below.

Stephen Kirin