Collection: Anthony Stevens

Anthony Stevens is a UK-based, self-taught textile artist. His choice of materials links back to his earlier years - textiles and embroidery were always around Anthony as a child. Now, his work acts as a form of therapy and self-expression, a way to process his life, both past and present.

Anthony’s work is closely connected to his practice of Nichiren Buddhism and chanting ‘Nam Myoho Renge Kyo’. Images come to him while he chants, along with intuitions relating to whether he should explore the images he sees. Through his creative process, the images’ many layers of meaning reveal themselves to Anthony. Colliding layers of stitch mount on top of each other in his work. Often, recurring motifs seep into his textiles too. Stripes, representing the ongoing drama of life and death, consciousness and unconsciousness, manifest themselves again and again. Anthony sees his work as dancing with his inner dynamics, finding a constructive rhythm for his expression.

Anthony also favours working with scrap fabrics. For him, it’s an encouragement to look creatively and perceive potential in what may seem useless or beyond repair. This concept resonates out into what he hopes to achieve in his own life. Anthony states ‘as with life, it is sometimes a painstaking and frustrating process, but ultimately I feel joy and satisfaction with the result.’