Steven Antonio Manes (1993, BE) Belgium based Italian visual artist

Steven Antonio Manes gives form to emotion through a strong sense of urgency and physical intensity. His oeuvre consists of abstract sculptures and drawings that read as a visual diary, a manifestation of inner conflicts in which emotion, identity, and memory merge into tangible forms. His work is an ongoing investigation into giving form to the formless and into crossing boundaries, through sculptural drawings or drawings on sculptures.

In his drawings, he scratches emotions onto paper, suggesting an ongoing confrontation with the self, a struggle that is both deeply personal and universally recognizable.

His sculptures are raw and intuitive. They evoke the rugged landscapes of Southern Italy, which not only reflect his heritage but also embody the earthy force that runs through his work.

Within his practice, the boundary between two and three dimensions dissolves: drawings acquire a sculptural presence, while sculptures appear as drawings in space. Drawing from an affinity with Abstract Expressionism and Arte Povera, he explores the relationship between body, material, and experience, seeking a form for the elusive and the formless.

He obtained his Master’s degree in Sculpture from Sint-Lucas in Ghent in 2017.

STUDIES

• 2017 - 2019 LUCA School of Arts, teacher programme, Ghent

• 2016 - 2018 LUCA School of Arts, Master in Visual Arts - Sculpture, Ghent

• 2014 - 2017 LUCA School of Arts, Bachelor in Visual Arts - Sculpture, Ghent

• 2011 - 2012  PHL Mad Faculty, Bachelor in Sculpture, Hasselt

• 2009 - 2011 PIKOH Kunsthumaniora, Visual Arts, Hasselt

• 2007 - 2009 PIKOH Kunsthumaniora, Artistic Education, Hasselt