Anthony Stevens, Our Own Reflections

ANTHONY STEVENS OUR OWN REFLECTIONS

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ANTHONY STEVENS OUR OWN REFLECTIONS Spring 2021

12 Northgate, Chichester West Susssex PO19 1BA ++44 (0)1243 528401 / 07794 416569 info@candidastevens.com www.candidastevens.com @candida_stevens

In his vividly embroidered textiles, Anthony Stevens touches upon a wide array of narratives, thoughts and themes. Magpie-like in what he is drawn to and what appears in his work, ultimately these artworks are about the human being, our behaviours and the confluence of our inner and outer lives. In the artist’s own words ‘why we do what we do, and why we are the way we are’.

Stevens has an immense curiosity about the world. Self-taught as an artist, his deep desire for research and learning is also visible in the myriad and often complex ideas he negotiates in his art. Jungian analysis, comparative religion, pop culture and metaphysics appear filtered through the flotsam and jetsam of his everyday thoughts, experiences and dreams. For many years Stevens wrote poetry, and his enjoyment of words and word play finds bold expression in his visual art. A strong Buddhist practice gives Stevens an openness to the present moment in everyday life; observations of fleeting experiences are recorded in fragments of sentences, text and poems in notebooks which he carries with him. These jottings simmer in his thoughts for a while, igniting further contemplation and investigation, before appearing as the text in his artworks. His own feelings and responses to what he learns open up new aspects of the world to him. Stevens isn’t seeking answers, in fact he notes that learning more about the mysteries of our shared humanity makes his experience of life ‘richer and more profound’.

Motifs from cultural myths, religion, philosophy and fairytales all appear in his work. These symbols are often old and deeply routed in our human psyche, but can be overlooked due to their simplicity. In his monkey imagery Stevens is referencing the Buddhist concept of the monkey mind - one constantly in a state of reactivity and endless chatter, where innate curiosity and action is not matched by wisdom. As he takes the time to carefully and slowly stitch his images into material, Stevens observes how a concept which was personal to him and his experience becomes more of an archetype, morphing into a consideration of our shared humanity; the monkey takes on the symbolism of the constant chatter and stimuli of our contemporary society.

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As with the monkey, the rest of the artist’s seemingly simple and child-like motifs have layered meanings. To create a figure of a ghost, he cuts material from an old blanket, thinking specifically about how humans - particularly children - portray the supernatural by placing blankets and sheets over

themselves. But he is also thinking about what lies beneath - what we show to the outside world and what remains hidden. Our culture and society is consumerist, but are we simply hiding the internal emptiness this creates?

Blankets and sheets are also flimsy, and easily swayed, a reminder not to be swept off in different directions. In Solis Rex Must Die Stevens has placed a heart visible about the ghost’s head. Too often we look elsewhere for love and validation, here Stevens is reminding us that everything we need is within us, that it just requires a change of perspective, an ability to look at oneself closely, in order to see that.

Stevens personally finds a place of contemplation and refuge in his work.

The physical process itself of creating these textiles has many analogies with human life. If he pulls a thread in one part of the piece, it effects something elsewhere in the work. As he handles the pieces there is a noticeable change in the fabrics, they become softer as he holds and touches them, but also, as he spends time on them, more durable due to the addition of the layers. He notes that this is similar to humans - we change over time through work, attention and time spent with others. Stevens also uses his painstaking physical practice as an emotional barometer. Even before he knows his own feelings, he understands that if the stitch feels taut and tight he needs to go inwards, to observe.

These textiles are beautiful, hand-crafted creations which guide us towards an understanding of our shared experiences as humans. They encourage us to slow down, and lead us towards a realisation that rather than being apart, we are part of something larger than ourselves. Perspective is key. In the Full Bloom series, Stevens is articulating his belief that we can learn by looking more closely at the processes of nature - that we are all subject to the same life cycles as a flower, or a tree, or even the stars, just operating on different timeframes. His message of belonging, understanding and the constant flow of life is reassuring, particularly in these current times.

Jo Baring, April 2021

(Artwork comments throughout the catalogue are written by the artist.)

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The Full Bloom Series The processes that we, as human beings, go through are often reflected back at us through watching nature. We all started out germinating and growing in the dark before pushing our way out into the world. We have the ability to transform the muck and filth of life and turn it into a source of nourishment and growth. We root our humanity in this fertile ground and become beautiful, uniquely ourselves, blooming vividly and wildly in the sun and yet aware that our roots are sunk in the realities of life. No muck, no flower. It takes a lot of effort to fully bloom.

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Full Bloom, Nurture, 2021 Hand embroidery, acrylic, tea stain on hand stitched mixed textile collage 30 x 23 cm

Full Bloom, Sweet, 2021 Hand embroidery, acrylic, tea stain on hand stitched mixed textile collage 30 x 22 cm

Full Bloom, Roots, 2021 Hand embroidery, acrylic, tea stain on hand stitched mixed textile collage 31 x 23 cm

Full Bloom, Rot, 2021 Hand embroidery, acrylic, tea stain on hand stitched mixed textile collage 29 x 22 cm

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The Night Bloom Series The Night Bloom series is part of an ongoing investigation into how the processes of human life are reflected in the world around us.

Growth and the creative space in it's many facets are often dark, whether it be the womb, the earth, sleep or the limitless bounds and constellations of inner and outer space.

These spaces and processes can give a sense of appreciation and awe to the mystery of life . In the dark, we can develop new aspects of ourselves, we can learn to see in new ways that were previously unknown to us. We can't rely on the usual senses of the daylight world and something new has to emerge. Without darkness there is no newness, no fecundity, only eventual depletion. It as essential to life as the sun in the sky and the air we breathe.

LIFE GROW SEED SOW DIG DIRT CURE HURT HEART ACHE BEAUTY MAKE

The Night Bloom Series, 2021 Hand embroidery on hand stitched mixed textile collage Each piece approx. 30 x 22 cm Overall size of grid approx. 80 x 140 cm 8

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When I am feeling lost or confused about something, I will often look to the natural world for some sort of answer or support.

This is a time of great uncertainty for so many people. However, I often spend time just looking at the sky, both in the day and at night. I think about how far away everything is, how the light from the stars can take thousands and millions of years to get to us, but it does get to us, but we have to put ourselves in the position to see it. I think the positives of this situation will be like the light from the stars, they might take a while to get to us but they will arrive eventually.

What is Given will Eventually be Received, 2020 Hand embroidery 23 x 17 cm 10

Everyone one of us, I believe, has a darker shadowy part that remains hidden from our view. The bit that wants to dominate, control and win over others without first trying to win over themselves. It’s all about power I suppose? But as appealing as it is on the surface, power seems like such a precarious and transient thing, maybe even dangerous? Something that it seems that people will do anything to hang onto at all costs. Why might this be? What is the attractor? What about other things, such as beauty, connection, love and life! The things that make our heart pump and sing and ask BIG questions. We all have that part too, even if that tends to also get hidden from view. I like the image of the balaclava as its associations for me are related to hiding, disguise, terrorism, bank robbers and others up to nefarious activity; but it is also something that can be taken off, removed and cast aside so that we can let the fresh air kiss the truth of our real face.

Those that seek power should first seek themselves / What the heart is not, 2021 Hand embroidery on calico Made up of two pieces both approx. 22 x 20 cm 11

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Hannah was inspired by memories and pictures of my paternal Grandmother.

Hannah had a difficult life, but my memories are of being very much loved by her. She had quite an individual sense of dress and would wear bright vivid colours, pink skirts with bright yellow cardigans that often-had little flowers stitched onto them. I believe that she may have knitted these cardigans herself. She also made vividly coloured crocheted blankets that had a bold design element to them. She kept an interesting garden that was well manicured and peopled with gnomes, fairies and other quirky objects. However, at the bottom, there was a wild part, with long grasses and an abundance of insect life. Hannah had soft worn hands that conveyed her being in what she created with them and a house that smelled of clean washing and hot tea. I am glad to have known her.

Can we really change and help ourselves in isolation? Has the cultural idea of the individual become so deeply rooted that we believe that we can do everything alone without the input of anyone else?

What does this do to us? Or, are we so completely helpless that we just give up on everything until we are rescued from ourselves and our lives? Does this ever really happen outside of fairy tales? The relationship with and between ourselves as human beings is a deeply complex one, as is the relationship with the ideas and industries we create. Maybe that is the key, complexity? Living with it, accepting it and the tension it brings and being aware that we are an important thread, but just a thread in the rich tapestry of life. Draw your own conclusions.

Hannah 2020, 2020 Hand embroidery, acrylic applique and mixed textiles on felt 29 x 25 cm

Self Help , 2021 Hand embroidery, applique and mixed textiles on felt 29 x 25 cm

Although strategy is an important and valid tool to navigate the world, this piece is my wish for others and myself, to live from a place that is congruent with the deeper wiser part of ourselves; the part that knows that what is truly good for others is also good for us.

Although the physical art work is as complete as it feels it can be, I feel that the idea behind it is a lifelong work in progress. And that is maybe how it should be.

I think as human beings, we are very good at listing and labelling and deciding what things are. It is useful and it helps us to navigate the chaos of the world. We like to put things in boxes, including each other. Inspired by quilts and comic books, ‘Cells’ for me is a piece that brings in to question why we tend to stop with the question of WHAT something is, whilst very often not asking WHY?

Soul Not Strategy, 2020 Hand embroidery, mixed textiles, acrylic and marker pen 29 x 24 cm

Cells, 2021 Hand embroidery, acrylic on hand stitched mixed textile collage 31 x 25 cm 13

Part of the ‘Cells’ series of works, Terms of Engagement 1,2,3 and 4 look at the various ways in which we as human beings address the problem of the wayward ‘monkey mind’. A term that comes from Hindu and Buddhist teachings. The monkey mind is a mind that finds itself in a constant state of reactivity to the stimulus in its inner and outer environment. Screeching, fighting and utter chaos, the monkey mind can be quite problematic at times. So, how best to deal with it?

Terms of Engagement, No.1, 2021 Hand embroidery, marker pen, acrylic and mixed textiles 30 x 25 cm 14

Terms of Engagement, No.2, 2021 Hand embroidery, acrylic and mixed textiles on felt 30 x 26 cm

Terms of Engagement no 3, 2021 Hand embroidery, acrylic and marker pen on hand stitched mixed textile background 26 x 30 cm

Terms of Engagement no 4, 2021 Hand embroidery, acrylic and marker pen on hand stitched mixed textile background 19 x 29 cm 15

Has anyone else been watching too much Netflix during lockdown?

A subjective/objective, tongue in cheek take on how relationships to TV and social media have developed over the past year.

We 2 R 1, 2021 Hand embroidery, marker pen on hand stitched mixed textile collage 19 x 34 cm 16

The bird is blue, a colour long associated with royalty but also the colour of the sky, the host of the bird when in flight and the host of the sun/ star which lends light to see. The eye/wing of the bird represents the consciousness that comes into being from the result of communion, a consciousness that is simultaneously, progeny, witness, and co-creator on both subjective and objective levels of experience.

A Royal Bird, 2021 Hand embroidery, acrylic, appliqué on hand sewn mixed textile background 30 x 23.5 cm

The ongoing circle of inner dynamics can a hole be the cause of becoming whole, and does this make us holy? ????

3 in 1, 2021 Hand embroidery on hand stitched mixed textile collage 35 x 33 cm 17

The stars have been used for the purpose of navigation and finding our way from place to place for millennia. But what about finding our own way in the world, our purpose and reason for being here? These pieces were inspired by a quote by Jungian Analyst, Marie-Louise Von Franz, which reads “Following your own star means isolation, not knowing where to go, having to find out a completely new way for yourself instead of just going on the trodden path everybody else runs along.

That's why there's always been a tendency in humans to project the uniqueness and the greatness of their own inner self onto outer personalities and become the servants, the devoted servants, admirers and imitators of outer personalities. It is much easier to admire a great personality and become a pupil or follower of a guru or a religious prophet, or an admirer of a big, official personality - a President of the United States - or live your life for some military general whom you admire. That is much easier than following your own star.” (p.71 Marie-Louise von Franz, The Way of The Dream).

I read this when I forget about my courage when it comes to living my OWN life.

Follow Your Own Star 1, 2021 Hand embroidery, acrylic, marker pen on hand stitched mixed textile collage 29 x 30 cm 18

Follow Your Own Star 2, 2021 Hand embroidery, acrylic, marker pen on hand stitched mixed textile collage 36 x 30 cm

I feel as if in our modern world, we are somehow made to feel defective and then rather conveniently we are offered the cure for this defectiveness in the form of latest shampoo, aftershave or face cream. A quick fix that doesn’t last. I believe that it is a worthy endeavour to improve on character flaws, but this can’t be done with pills and potions, it takes courage and perseverance which are things that can’t be bought or sold, they can only be found internally and once found (because they are there) nurtured to fruition.

Hair Oil, 2019 Hand embroidery 34 x 27 cm

Strength, virility and courage, are often associated as attributes of the lion, King of the beasts. And to be fair, quite rightly so. However, it is not only lions that possess these qualities. Have you ever noticed those wild plants and flowers that grow out of cracks in pavements and walls, and even precariously out of tiny islands of dirt on chimney pots, where they are no doubt battered by the elements? Surely these little beauties are worthy of praise also?

Sampson, 2020 Hand embroidery 34 x 28 cm 19

I find our culture to be full of contradictory and conflicting messages; a selfperpetuating advertising loop of problems and answers. At one moment it seems we have arrived at some point of congruence only to find at the next, that this is no longer the case and we have to begin all over again, with no doubt a whole new set of books, products and services to assist us on our way. Round and round we go, in circles large and small, each of us paying endlessly to play on this merry-go-round.

Au Contraire no. 2, 2020 Hand embroidery, applique, acrylic, marker pen and staples 40 x 57 cm 20

A snapshot of some of what makes me, me.

We are all such amazingly complex, individual and yet totally ordinary and universal beings.

What a strange thing it is to be a human being.

Self-portrait, 2018 Hand embroidery, applique and mixed textiles 73 x 85 cm 21

Spirals, circles and cycles. That seems to be the way of the world.

Endings are just beginnings for that which is unfamiliar and as yet unknown.

What is a beginning if not the end of an end, 2020 Hand embroidery and mixed textiles 35.5 x 31 cm 22

Djinn (Smoke & Mirrors), 2018 Hand embroidery, marker pen, acrylic and mixed textiles 62 x 64 cm

The Djinn, or genie, are said to be entities created from smokeless fire, they have the ability to shape shift and present themselves in any manner of ways, sometimes to benefit and sometimes to deceive. When thinking about this, I couldn’t help but make comparisons to the shapeshifting modalities of social media. How something can be tweaked and changed to present in a certain way, to manipulate the viewer and how in turn, we can manipulate and edit our own environments and experiences by choosing what we wish to see and hear whilst being endlessly plugged in to our devices. We can tune out that which we find challenging or displeasing and find something else that we feel reflects us in a better light or makes us feel more at ease. We can live in an echo chamber surrounded by our own reflections.

Maybe that makes the Djinn more flesh and blood than smokeless fire?

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A simplistic translation of the word ‘NAM’, is ‘devotion to’. In some branches of Japanese Buddhism, it is used as an honorific title that is placed before a Buddha’s name or the tile of a sutra. In the context of this work, I personally understand ‘NAM’ to be a bow of reverence, respect and sometimes surrender to the Buddha nature inherent in all things. By making this internal bow, the weight of the crown of my ego, my little king, falls from my head for a while and allows me to sometimes become aware of something much bigger and deeper than the surface chatter of my mind (represented by the monkey and the Buddhist concept of monkey mind). It is refreshing and and offers me some perspective of my place in things. Unfortunately or fortunately, I don’t really know which, I inevitably pick my crown back up and put it back on. Maybe this is the way of the world? Maybe by acknowledging our own crowns and the crowns of others we become more respectful of each other? It is food for thought.

NAM No 1., 2020 Mixed textiles, hand embroidery, acrylic and sequins 54 x 68 cm 24

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This piece leads on from NAM no 1. This piece is about the relief I sometimes feel from my Buddhist practise of chanting ‘NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO (DEVOTION TO THE WONDERFUL LAW OF THE LOTUS SUTRA), of being able to put into perspective my place in the chaotic, sometimes murky swamp of life where we are bombarded 24/7 with the results of our shared greed, anger and stupidity. I am able to understand a little better what I contribute to the world both for the better and the worse, to get a glimpse of the potential in the problem. This is like the paradox of the beautiful lotus, which needs the mud of the swamp to feed its roots and to bloom and reveal its full potential. It is a part of a cycle that plays out across the micro and the macro. The muddy swamp is a moist place fed by the rain, where waste is transformed into life giving and life growing compost. The moisture from above feeds the moisture below and vice versa, over and over again. It reminds me of how, when we cry deeply, we somehow revitalise our lives, feel softened and more flexible in our approach to life and to each other, that everything eventually passes, just like the clouds.

NAM No 2, Passing by like the clouds, 2020 Mixed textiles, hand embroidery, tea and diamante detailing 55 x 81 cm 26

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In some ancient traditions, a King was seen as a solar deity and held a deep sacred responsibility in his role as a ruler. He was seen as being responsible for the wellbeing of the people and the land upon which they lived. When plague or blight was visited upon a people and no answer could be found, the King or ruler was sacrificed either symbolically or literally, so that balance could again be restored.

We are living in a time of plague and blight right now. The whole world seems out of balance; socially, economically, spiritually, not to mention environmentally. When making this piece, I wanted to take the idea of the Sun King and internalise it, bring it down to a personal level in regards to what rules or drives us as individuals at this time in history? Is it hunger, greed, a narcissistic self interest? How did we get here? And maybe most importantly, what needs to be sacrificed in order to restore balance once more?

Solis Rex Must Die, 2020 Hand embroidery, acrylic applique and mixed textiles on felt 66 x 68 cm 28

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Visually, this is a very simple piece, but it took several weeks to make as I had no image in mind when making it and allowed time and circumstance to have its way.

The flowers on the patterned fabric brought to mind a building up of layers, rather like the mulch at the bottom of a pond or the layers found in ice and rock. The single flower above the surface is only there because of the many layers of flowers that came before it. The bulb or roots nourish the flower, and simultaneously the single flower has access to the air and the light of the sun, returning this nourishment to the ground. It is a symbiotic relationship.

The text came from some notes I had scribbled down a few years ago after going on a night-time walk when I couldn’t sleep. They are thoughts written in red and black, the same colours I use in the heart and cross symbol that appears in a lot of my work. It is the essence of a heart remembering its true purpose and nature, the three stars above are the crosses transformed. The patches of striped fabric are reminders of the ongoing drama of life and death, sleeping and waking, consciousness and unconsciousness whilst the blue from the felt on which the work is backed, is the limitless blue sky of Shunyata, the primordial void from which everything originates.

The cross symbol is associated with the Jungian concept of the quadrant, the symbol for the Self or the totality of the psyche; a symbol which appears to cross boundaries of time, place and culture. It is again made up of striped fabrics and is in pink and blue as in the time/environment in which I grew up, these colours were associated with a the distinction between the sexes. I suppose the meaning of this piece as far as I understand it, is the importance of the symbiotic relationship we have with the past, present and future. We are building on what came before and what we do to develop ourselves now will be built on and developed in the future. Our lives become our mission.

The Archaeology of the Land, 2020 Hand embroidery on mixed textiles 69 x 68 cm 30

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Small Comfort 1, 2 and 3 These pieces are influenced in large by quilts; objects that, to me, are imbued with love and comfort. They shelter us in the dark and keep us warm and safe, to a point.

However, I would assume that for most of us, there will be periods of time when we wake at night, plagued by worries about our lives and the people in them. The things we wish we had done and the things we wish we had not, and perhaps most horrifying, the finite nature of our lives, the end, the big finish, death. In these moments, it feels as if the quilt and its comfort shrink, our feet are metaphorically exposed to the bogies that live in the dark. Maybe if we allow ourselves not to pull the covers over our heads, get up and talk to our bogies and boggarts, they might have something interesting to say about the business of living life? They might even be our friends?

Small Comfort, No 1, 2021 Hand embroidery, posca pen and oil pastel 68 x 44 cm 32

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Small Comfort, No.2, 2021 Hand embroidery, acrylic and mixed textiles 72 x 48cm 34

Small Comfort, No.3, 2021 Hand embroidery, acrylic and mixed textiles 91 x 56 cm 35

I find flags to be strange entities, like people, they are full of paradox and duality.

On one hand, they can be symbols of unity, shared values and purpose, an almost mission statement perhaps? And yet they can be deeply divisive, even amongst those that live and share space under their canopy. Maybe they offer an unspoken promise of certainty, place and identity in times of upheaval, a sense of something permanent in the ever changing world?

When I think of flags and the nations that they represent, I can’t help but think of these things in the context of history and the larger cycles of time that dwarf us. Civilisations such as the Roman empire and the Sumerians before them rose, peaked and declined, leaving only comparative echoes in history. I think for me, the commonality amongst all this are us, people, the human being and all it’s potentialities. We all share the same wishes to be happy, to have comfort in times of need and suffering, to be seen and have a sense that our lives matter, that we are valuable have meaning. I suppose that is why when making these pieces I was so inspired by Tibetan prayer flags. Little squares of thin brightly coloured fabric, so fragile yet imbued with timeless and powerful prayers for the things that can truly unify us, peace, wisdom, courage and compassion, all the qualities of an open heart.

Prayer Flag No. 2, 2020 Hand sewing, applique, vintage cards and safety pins on mixed textiles 79 x 121 cm 36

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Sufi was inspired by a childhood memory of dancing with my mother and my little sister in our living room. We were spinning round with our arms outstretched listening to Oxygen by Jean Michel Jarre, completely lost and absorbed in our activity, occasionally banging in to each other and laughing out loud. This memory brought to mind the universality of spinning, from the whirling of the Sufi’s and the spinning and spirals of galaxies and planets, to the motion of water as it empties down the plug hole, everything seems to dance to it’s own motion.

Sufi No. 1, 2020 Hand embroidery, acrylic, transfer paper and mixed textiles 113.5 x 84 cm 38

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To my mind, there is something special that can occur in a time of crisis or upset. It can soften and open up the heart, defences can sometimes be dropped and maybe even occasionally, a prayer for help or assistance might pop out. Not that this would be readily admitted of course. And if this does occur, who or what is listening, if there is any listening happening at all and how do we even know???!!!

This piece is one of several that I have made that is influenced by the story of Avalokiteshvara, a bodhisattva, from Buddhist mythology, who was so overwhelmed by all the sounds of suffering beings throughout the Universe, that they were shattered so that each piece could go to one of the countless worlds where it was needed. I like to think that we all have a little piece of Avalokiteshvara imbedded in us somewhere that will respond accordingly when required.

The Universe is Full of Prayer, 2020 Hand embroidery, acrylic, applique, tea stain on mixed textiles 110 x 83 cm 40

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Growing up, I had no plans to become an artist, it simply didn’t occur to me that this would, or could, be an option. However, life often has its own agenda that can sometimes run in opposition to what we think is best for us, and I feel that this is a rather wonderful thing. This piece is based around a watershed experience in my life. A life that I had built on shifting sands was beginning to crumble. However, in amongst all this turmoil, I do what I always do when struggling and started to chant’ “NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO, NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO…” over and over again. I ‘heard’ a very quiet inner voice speak; it said: “The answer to your prayers lies within your current circumstance”.

I changed the focus of my chanting from denial of the experience of that moment to one of gratitude and it was at this moment that I felt as if I dropped through the surface of a polluted and rubbish strewn sea into the most beautiful clear water below. The experience was full of paradox, I had never experienced anything like it, and yet it was intimately familiar. It seemed to come from within and yet it also felt that it was coming from without. I had never felt such peace and security and yet outwardly, everything was so chaotic! Yet, this very clear message welled up from deep within me: EVERYTHING IS OK. The intensity of this experience passed quickly, but the vestige of it has remained.

It was during the following year that I bought a large bag of scrap fabric from a dress shop and spent many, many hours sifting and sorting through the pile, not discarding anything and looking to see how I could produce the most personal value from each piece. I eventually made several small collages from these scraps, and the rest as they say, is history.

Hastings Has Nirvana Too (How I became an artist), 2019 Hand embroidery, marker pen and mixed textiles 102 x 81 cm 42

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Anthony Stevens (b.1978) is a self-taught artist living in Brighton, UK. Exhibitions: 2020 London Art fair 2020, Platform, Threading Forms with Candida Stevens Gallery 2019 Super Marche 323, Group exhibition, Raw Art Foundation, Frankfurt, Germany 2019 Riot, Group exhibition, Socially Engaged Arts Salon, BMECP, Brighton UK 2019 Birds Sing Dogs Bark, Solo Show, Greenbelt Festival, Allotment Gallery, UK 2019 Heads and Tales, Group Exhibition, Vane Gallery, Newcastle, UK 2019 Hard Wired, Touring exhibition, Unpacked Arts/Outside In, Yorkshire, UK 2019 Limbo, group exhibition, Socially Engaged Arts Salon, BMECP, Brighton, UK 2018 Devonshire Made, group show, DC1 Gallery, Eastbourne, U.K 2018 +1 Joint solo exhibition, Copenhagen Outsider Art Gallery, Copenhagen 2018 Art and Liberation. Group exhibition, The Holy Biscuit Gallery, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK 2018 SAID THE BIRD, Solo Exhibition, and residency , CCCA, Coventry United Kingdom 2017 Common Threads, Joint Exhibition (commissioned) House Biennial, Phoenix Gallery, Brighton 2017 Nothing Is Wasted, Solo Exhibition, Zollhauser Rodenas, Rodenas, North Germany 2017 Black Holes and Black Friday (2 but not 2) Solo Exhibition, Galerie Art Cru, Berlin 2017 Beloved, Group Exhibition, Well Being Gallery, Brighton 2017 Confronting Rape Culture, Group Exhibition, Museum of Futures, London 2017 Kd Outsider Art, Online 5th Anniversary Exhibition 2016 Skeletons Out of the Closet, Group Exhibition and workshop, De la Warr Pavilion, Bexhill 2016 Redefining Outsider Art, Online Group Exhibition, Kd Outsider Art 2016 Not Here, Group Exhibition, Radiant Gallery, Plymouth 2016 A Space Outside Your Mind, Group Exhibition, Queens Yard, London 2015 Sewing Circle, Group Exhibition, St Pancras Hospital Conference Centre 2015 ‘Being Creative is Good for You!’ Group exhibition and workshops, Well Being Gallery, Brighton 2015 ‘No Sides’. Joint Exhibition, Jilted Dog gallery, Brighton 2014 Outside In/Pallant House gallery, Brighton Art Fair , 2014 Making Soup, Solo Exhibition, Prick Your Finger, London 2014 Process -Space Art Festival, Travelling Group Show, Historical Museum, Balchick, Bulgaria 2014 Artists United, Group Show, Foundry Gallery, Lewes UK 2014 Raw Threads, Group Exhibition and micro residency, Raw Art Foundation, Atelier Frankfurt,.

2014 WanderLust, Group Exhibition, Atelier Frankfurt, Frankfurt 2013 Transforming Conflict, Group Show, Taplow Court, UK 44

Published in April 2021 by Candida Stevens Gallery on the occasion of an exhibition featuring the work of Anthony Stevens.

Catalogue © Candida Stevens Gallery Images © the Artist Text © Jo Baring and Anthony Stevens Photography © Dan Stevens All rights reserved 45

12 Northgate, Chichester West Susssex PO19 1BA 07794 416569 info@candidastevens.com www.candidastevens.com @candida_stevens 46