ABOUT the artist
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Biography
Steve Allen (B. 1964, Cumberland, UK) is an oil painter, photographer and video artist who has spent his working life in the field of creative image-making and was Director of Imaging at one of the North’s leading agencies.
He has been involved in photography and filmmaking since the late 1970s. He began oil painting in his early teens with a passion for traditional techniques. He enjoys the counterpoints of working with digital and analogue practices.
He trained at Carlisle College of Art & Design and has taught Portraiture and Fine Art Printing at the Burslem Campus, Stoke on Trent. He now lives and has his creative practice in Derbyshire.
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2026 Awards
Jackson’s Art Prize (Longlisted)
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2026
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Artist’s Statement
Nothing is more artistically stimulating for me than the blank canvas or the hard drive. The impulsion to make marks to express a vision is immense. There is little in the world that is not fascinating when viewed from the correct standpoint.
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Exhibited Works
Solo Exhibitions
1995 Romantic Portraiture – Ancient High House, Stafford.
Selected Exhibitions
1982 – Northern Arts Show, Tully House, Carlisle.
1984 – South Quay Studios Summer Exhibition, Maryport, Cumbria.
1986 – Staffordshire Open, Stoke on Trent (Commended)
1988 – Staffordshire Open, Stoke on Trent
1990 – Staffordshire Open, Stoke on Trent (Commended)
1995 – Staffordshire Open, Stoke on Trent
2024 – Cumbria Institute of the Arts @60 Exhibition, Vallum Gallery, Carlisle.
