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

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

Upcoming Exhibitions

2025

  • Station Street Installation (18 May – 6 July)

  • Atelier Brighton Open (25 July - 14 September)

  • Artwave 2025, September

  • Structures, Depot, Lewes, September