Richard Lewer ‘Steve’ at National Gallery of Australia

… every now and again as an artist a special moment comes along that allows you to make a work that will touch so many people’s lives, and for that moment perhaps they don’t feel so alone.’

Richard Lewer

Richard Lewer’s Steve is a gentle exploration of a family coming to terms with a dementia diagnosis.

An animated film comprising thousands of paintings tells the story of Steve and his family as they cope with the impact of his illness and the changes to their lives.

As a counterpoint, paintings of memories drawn from Lewer’s life are shown beside the film. Made on tabletops, the table is understood as a site around which life’s most beautiful, mundane and challenging moments occur. It’s here that dinners are held, bills are paid, and funerals are arranged.

Richard Lewer is a visual storyteller recognised for works that focus on the complexities of the human condition. With a longstanding interest in the relationship between art and health, Steve suggests memory as a phenomenon that is both fragile and inherently mysterious.

Following its presentation at the National Gallery, Richard Lewer: Steve will tour nationally.

Richard Lewer is represented in Aotearoa by {Suite}

To find more exhibitions around the world by New Zealand artists, visit ArtNow.NZ