Harris is a master of understated realism which evokes its own sense of ‘atmosphere’ and contemplative mood. His works have been described as meditations in light, a type of reflective silence emanates from the paintings and imbues them with an almost spiritual quality.
Steve Harris was born in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1953 and is self-taught as an artist. He moved with his wife Karen and two daughters to Australia in 1991 and now resides in Jervis Bay, New South Wales. “Harris has become well known for his impeccably painted still life compositions, his skilful use of light, shadow and space being a hallmark of his approach. He generally tends to depict objects which have an everyday function or perhaps have even been discarded, but the work is about much more than simple representation. Harris is a master of understated realism which in turn evokes its own sense of ‘atmosphere’ and contemplative mood. His works have been described as ‘meditations in light’; and this is very much the feeling one has when attending one of Harris’s exhibitions – a type of reflective silence emanates from the paintings and imbues them with a spiritual quality that one would not, perhaps anticipate.” ~ Nevill Drury Images 2, Australian Contemporary Painting.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1981 Cargo Gallery, Lyttleton NZ
1982 Cargo Gallery, Lyttleton NZ
1983 Bealey Gallery, Christchurch NZ
1984 Rosslyn Gallery, Dunedin NZ
1984 Bealey Gallery, Christchurch NZ
Rosslyn Gallery, Dunedin NZ
1985 Bealey Gallery, Christchurch NZ
1986 Bealey Gallery, Christchurch NZ
1987 Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney Australia
1988 Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney Australia
1989 Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney Australia
1990 Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney Australia
Bealey Gallery, Christchurch NZ
1991 Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney Australia Bealey Gallery, Christchurch NZ
Ferner Gallery, Auckland NZ
1992 Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney Australia Melbourne Fine Art Gallery, Melbourne Australia Bealey Gallery, Christchurch NZ
1993 Ferner Gallery, Auckland NZ
Melbourne Fine Art Gallery, Melbourne Australia Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney Australia
1994 Melbourne Fine Art Gallery, Melbourne Australia Ferner Gallery, Auckland NZ
Bealey Gallery, Christchurch NZ
1995 Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney Australia
Cintra Galleries, Brisbane Australia
Ferner Gallery, Auckland NZ
1996 Ferner Gallery, Wellington NZ
Melbourne Fine Art Gallery, Melbourne Australia
Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney Australia
1997 Cintra Galleries, Brisbane Australia
1998 Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney Australia
1999 Ferner Gallery, Wellington NZ
Flinders Lane Gallery, Melbourne Australia
2000 Ferner Gallery, Auckland NZ
Bealey Gallery, Christchurch NZ
2001 Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney Australia
2002 Ferner Gallery, Auckland NZ Bealey Gallery, Christchurch NZ
2003 Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney Australia
2004 Bealey Gallery, Christchurch NZ
Ferner Gallery, Wellington NZ
2006 Dickerson Gallery, Melbourne Australia
Retrospective, Shoalhaven Regional Art Gallery, NSW Australia
Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney Australia
2007 Ferner Gallery, Auckland NZ
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1977 Benson & Hedges Award, Dunedin NZ
1978 Abernethy’s Gallery, Dunedin NZ
1979 Commonwealth Young Artists’ Exhibition, Royal Overseas League
Christchurch NZ and London UK Otago Art Society, Dunedin NZ
1980 Otago Art Society, Dunedin NZ
1983 Guest Artist, Ashburton Annual Exhibition, Ashburton NZ
1984 Montana Art Award, Auckland NZ
1985 Guest Artist, Timaru Annual Exhibition, Timaru NZ Rosslyn Gallery, Dunedin NZ
1988 Inaugural Australian Commercial Galleries Association Art Fair, Melbourne Australia 1993 A.C.T.A. Maritime Award, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney Australia
P&O Maritime Award, Sydney Australia
12 Contemporary NZ Artists, Hong Kong Royal Country Club, Hong Kong 1996 NZ Realists, Robert McDougal Public Art Gallery, Christchurch NZ
Guest Artist, Inverlochy Exhibition, Wellington NZ
Dual Horizons, Studio of Contemporary Art, Auckland NZ Still Life, Group Exhibition, Ferner Gallery, Auckland NZ Super Art Dickerson Gallery, Melbourne Australia
2006 Lexus Mortimore, Dubbo Australia
2007 Dickerson Gallery, land, sea & sky, Melbourne Australia
Farm Feral and female, Bell Gallery, Berrima, NSW Australia
2011 Still Life exhibition Gallery One, Gold Coast 2014 Solo exhibition Gallery One, Gold Coast
COLLECTIONS INCLUDE
Deutche Bank, Sydney Australia, McDougal Public Art Gallery, Christchurch NZ, B-H.P. Collection, Melbourne Australia, Mclntosh Corporate Ltd. Sydney Australia, Baring Securities (Australia) Ltd, Sydney, Abbott Tout Russell Kennedy, Sydney, NZ Post, Wellington NZ, Sly and Weigall, Sydney, Huka Lodge Taupo NZ, D & D Tolhurst, Melbourne, Skellerup Corporation, Auckland NZ, Air New Zealand, Sydney, Air, New Zealand, Brisbane, Marubeni Australia Ltd, Melbourne, Sky Television, NZ, Merrill Lynch, Sydney, J.B. Were, Sydney, Australia, Deacons Graham & Jones, Sydney, Campbelltown City Art Gallery, Australia Shoalhaven Regional Art Gallery, N.S.W., Lowenstein, Sydney. Private Collections including: United States of America, United Kingdom, Germany, Bahamas, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Brunei, China