Steve Bannatyne is a UK-based artist working in abstract relief and wall-based assemblage, using reclaimed timber and found materials. He was born in Belfast and raised during the Troubles. Leaving home at 16, he studied Art and Design at Exeter College before earning a BA in Graphic Design from Central Saint Martins. His creative path has always been shaped by a sensitivity to place, history, and how we make meaning from what’s left behind.
Bannatyne’s practice is rooted in environmental awareness and a deep respect for material history. A former environmental charity worker, he developed a growing interest in reuse and repair, which now sits at the heart of his studio work. Each piece begins with what he finds—offcuts, weathered wood, and surfaces marked by time. The shape, texture, and patina of the materials drive the direction of the work, forming a quiet, intuitive dialogue between object and maker.
His practice is also informed by lived experience and his ongoing advocacy for mental health. Bannatyne has worked with marginalised individuals and community groups, using creative processes as a tool for reflection, connection, and empowerment. This sense of care and quiet attention carries through into his work, which often speaks to fragility, repair, and the value of what’s overlooked.
The aesthetic is raw, sometimes accidental, often precarious—many works appear as if they might collapse, yet they hold their own balance. Colour is used sparingly, referencing early modernist influences such as Russian Constructivism, the collaged works of Robert Rauschenberg, and the material intelligence of Margaret Mellis and the St Ives artists.
Many pieces begin with abstract drawings of landscape—marking out paths, boundaries, and lost lines. These are later translated into layered timber constructions that reflect movement, memory, and terrain. His work doesn’t just reuse materials—it remembers them. Each piece offers a quiet reflection on what’s been broken, what’s held together, and the act of building something new from what’s been left behind.
Recent Exhibitions
2025
Refresh, Group Show, Tarpey Gallery
Throwing Shapes, Chalk Gallery
T2T, Phoenix Artspace
Station Street Installation (18 May – 6 July)
Atelier Brighton Open (25 July - 14 September)
Artwave 2025, September
Structures, Depot, Lewes, September
2024
Resurgence, Solo Show, Star Brewery Gallery, Lewes
What Is Left Behind, Solo Show, part of A Day by the River Literary Festival
Trespassers, Group Show
Artwave 2024
Tarpey Open 2024
Tea, Coffee, and Tequila, Open Exhibition
Fronteer Open (Shortlisted for Judge’s Choice)
2023
Artwave 2023
The Ministry of Arts podcast
Listen here: MOA
In early September 2023 Steve spoke to Gary Mansfield about his early life growing up in Belfast, and everything that shaped him as an Artist.
Steve Bannatyne was born and raised in Belfast during the troubles. After leaving home at 16, he studied Art and Design at Exeter College, then earned a BA in Graphic Design at Central Saint Martins.
Steve’s work for an environmental protection charity has led him to explore working exclusively with waste materials. Stories can be found within, and memories provoked by, the shapes, textures and visible traces of previous use of discarded materials. His work can be place specific, referencing points on the landscape, or more abstract expressions, inspired by the colours and textures of the materials themselves.
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains conversations of early death, bereavement and suicide; If you have been effected by anything you may have heard, please consider contacting groups like @myblackdog_co or Samaritans on 126123
Fibre Arts take 2 interview
Steve speaks to Deborah White about his early life and work. Steve discusses his earliest influences from great teachers, Russian constructivism to Modern art.
