Stephen Ralph’s sculptures invite us to recognise the power of art to take us beyond the immediate concerns of our own existence. His sculptures are the products of taking consolation in the beauty of art and nature. Their honest treatment is surely the result of art’s ability to clarify our sense of reality, and to remind us of our miniscule part in it.
—Dr Georgina Cole
Stephen Ralph is something of a journeyman in his approach to sculptural practice, blending working worlds from the trades, art and design history, he has a rich field of references that drive his repertoire unlimited by his extraordinary ability in seemingly all materials and sculptural techniques, including clay modelling, wood carving and turning, concrete casting and, in recent years, the carving of marble and basalt which has included the building of machines to aid his processes. The figurative sculptural outcomes of Ralph's studio resonate as votive offerings for rebuilding the self.
Stephen Ralph (b. 1966, Boorlo/Perth; l. Gadigal Country/Sydney) has had a consistent studio practice since graduating from the National Art School, Sydney, in the early 1990s. He has exhibited continuously since then in commercial galleries and public and university museums. He is a co-founder of Stone Villa Inc, a prominent artist collective and studio complex in Sydney. He has been represented by The Commercial since 2012.
Key exhibitions
- Roman Spectres, Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney, 2024 - 2025
- Hold the World to its Word, curated by Michael Moran, Murray Art Museum Albury, Albury 2024 - 2025
- Stephen Ralph: Gravity, The Commercial, Sydney, 2023
- Stephen Ralph, Installation Contemporary, curated by Glenn Barkley, Sydney Contemporary, Carriageworks, Sydney, 2015
- Assembly - Contemporary Ceramics, curated by Kay Abude, Margaret Lawrence Gallery, Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne, 2014
Key readings
- Georgina Cole, Stephen Ralph: Gravity, exh. text, The Commercial, Sydney, 2023
- Naomi Evans, ‘Stephen Ralph – Life is long’, exh. text, The Commercial, Sydney, 2021
- Kay Abude, ‘In conversation with Stephen Ralph’, Assembly: contemporary ceramics, exh. cat., Margaret Lawrence Gallery, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 2014
- Jane O'Neil, ‘Stephen Ralph’, Austral Avenue: An experiment in living with art, exh. cat., Austral Avenue, Melbourne, 2012, pp. 42-47
Collections
Artbank
Gadens Lawyers
Judith Neilsen Collection
Olympus Dining, Sydney
State Library of Queensland