Some themes that incorporate Stephanie's practice include the relationship between women and the natural world.
Stephanie Pijper is an award-winning Scottish artist whose meticulous attention to detail shines through her diverse body of work. Her artistic practice spans surrealistic studies, still life paintings inspired by Japanese Kintsugi art, and captivating animal portraits that showcase her technical mastery and unique vision. A graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art with a BA Honours in Fine Art, Stephanie's work inhabits a fascinating space between Symbolism and Realism, exploring tensions between direct representations and their deeper psychological undercurrents.
Stephanie Pijper's Artistic Vision
Stephanie's paintings feature brightly colored allegorical arrangements of figures, birds, flora, and antique objects that reflect her interest in both visibility and concealment. Her work examines the relationship between women and the natural world, paying careful attention to how layout, form, and palette create tranquil visual effects for viewers. This approach is deeply influenced by her multi-cultural background, with Scottish, Dutch, Polish, and Chinese heritage informing her artistic identity and serving as a unifying thread throughout her practice.
From Scotland to International Recognition
Born in the North East of Scotland, Stephanie furthered her artistic development through extensive European travels after completing her education in 2006. She spent several years living in Spain and The Netherlands before returning to Scotland in 2010, experiences that enriched her perspective and creative approach. Her work has garnered significant recognition, including The Pauline Fay Lazarus Award for work using the human form, third prize in The Winsor & Newton Young Artist of the Year Award, and The People's Choice Award in the Royal Birmingham Society of Art Portrait Exhibition.
Themes of Renewal and Transformation
The concept of renewal features prominently in Stephanie's work, particularly in her Kintsugi-inspired still life paintings. Drawing parallels with this Japanese art form where broken porcelain is mended with gold, she transforms fractured objects into symbols of hope and beauty. Her paintings often incorporate monkeys, birds, and big cats as spiritual emblems of our wild nature. Stephanie is particularly fascinated by the coexistence of fragility and strength in both feminine experience and the natural world, themes that echo the philosophy behind Kintsugi. Her artwork now resides in private collections across the UK, USA, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Japan, testament to the universal appeal of her artistic vision.