For award-winning artist, Steven Lester, improbable stories of numerous Olympians are a good staging ground for painting powerful narratives through a colorful and compelling point of view.
Scroll down to view some visual stories of staggering passion.
Stroll through the pages of the Flip Book to see the art and read the stories
Steven was invited to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo to stage ‘live’ painting events at multiple venues. Also, concurrent with the Summer Games, he will have a solo exhibition of his narrative, Olympic-themed paintings at the prestigious Tokyo American Club.
“The battles that count aren't the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself - the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us - that's where it's at.”
–Jesse Owens
Click the image below to watch the virtual exhibition tour,
"The Olympian Spirit," led by AVA's Chief Curator.
The Olympics have a long and storied history with art. During its early years, 1912 to 1948, art competitions were included in the modern Olympic Games- part of the original intention of the Olympic Movement’s founder, Pierre de Coubertin.
Reuniting the arts and sports again, featured artist Steven Lester, has developed a major series of narrative paintings featuring individual competitors and their corresponding Olympic stories of hardships, determination, and success.
Details. Details. Details.
Steven’s loose, expressive style allows him to interpret the emotion and movement of the moment. His paintings and collages are marked by bold colors, expressive brushwork (as seen in the image details below), often mixing media and incorporating layers, collage elements, textures, drips, splashes and a variety of mark-making tools.
“Steven has the unique ability to animate every brushstroke with palpable verve and kinetic energy that reaches out from the canvas to embrace our senses in a provocative interplay.”
— Art Collector, Atlanta, GA
