From interior design to artistic sculptures, Stephen Burke tells his story

22 Feb 2023

After more than 20 years’ experience as an interior designer, Stephen Burke began to design and create his exquisite sculptures, inspired by his design background as well as working in art galleries in New Zealand, Australia and the UK. Using - and mixing - some intriguing Resene paint colours, Stephen has created some eye-catching pieces.  

Describing his work as sculptural, Stephen says it all reflects his interest in form, function and scale.  Within their composition, each sculptures demonstrates Stephen’s analytical approach to design, as well as the enjoyable aspect of colour expression.

Artist and interior designer Stephen Burke.

“I have a great fascination with colour when designing, and just the psychology of colour in general,” Stephen says.

Enjoying his role in interior design for many years through his business, Stephen Burke Designs, he has found that his art and sculptures are a creative outlet for him that he might not otherwise get. 

“My interior design work is my bread and butter and I enjoy it immensely,” he says. “The art is my passion and a considered a risk on the side, but it greatly fulfils my creativity more broadly than the constraints of interior design.”

Stephen’s In the Night Garden (After the Rains) is painted with a base of Resene Nero, then a mix of Resene Revolver, Resene Gunmetal, Resene Indian Ink, Resene Racing Green, Resene Black Rock and Resene Swamp, with metallic highlights of Resene Digital Blue and Resene Pioneer.

At first, Stephen says his sculptural design was more accidental, coming from an ‘a-ha’ moment during his work in interiors. Once he saw the sculpture forming, it was then a process of turning a creative idea into a tangible product, which took more than two years.

“Much of the delay is down to a mixture of preparation and extensive research to find the right materials, the right support network, and dealing with the financial constraints of taking a design to market,” says Stephen.

“There is also very much a ‘lack of confidence’ aspect as well that slowed the process down. You have to really believe in yourself and your design to put down the money and resources to take an idea from the conceptual to the physical.”

Stephen’s first, and favourite, piece, ‘Hope (Why Does it Hurt So Much)’, painted with Resene Mamba blended to Resene Siesta, Resene Golden Tainoi blended to Resene Salomie, Resene Wax Flower blended to Resene Tuft Bush, Resene Cutty Sark blended to Resene Summer Green, Resene Wishlist blended to Resene Half Kumutoto and Resene Roxy blended to Resene Tacao. 

To date, Stephen’s favourite piece is Hope (Why Does it Hurt So Much). This was his first artwork of the kind with the design concept and colour palette coming about from a challenging period in his life. 

“I found the colour palette inspirational,” Stephen says. “It’s actually a take on the colour swatches from the 1980 Memphis Design movement founded by Italian designer and architect Ettore Sottsass which was a way of bucking the modernism design trend that was very austere and functional.”

“It is the sheer boldness of the Memphis Design colour palette that pushes the bounds of the aesthetic in a residential setting, that I find so alluring. I know out there, someone will love the work as much as I do. That one will be a hard one to say goodbye to.”

Stephen begins each piece by drawing it up on a computer. There he can play with the dimensions and improve his understanding of how all the elements will eventually fit together.

The substrate of his works is marine ply, with acrylic cut to specifications by Award Plastics in Christchurch as the internal mirrors. The front panels are plywood, hand painted by Stephen at his base in Queenstown, then sent to custom furniture maker Cory Beyrer from Beyrer Bespoke Furniture in Christchurch for assembly.

While the designs are Stephen’s, he does not, by his own admission, have the tools, equipment or skills to piece all the elements of his work together. 

Finally, the front panels are given a high gloss lacquer.

The simple yet stunning piece Who Needs the Sun (When the Moon’s So Full of Light), painted as a wash in metallic Resene Silver Aluminium.

“I have been specifying Resene paints on my projects for many years, so I am familiar with the range and the incredible colour palette,” Stephen says. “The fandecks inspire my colour choices. I can cut up the colour cards and sit colours side-by-side to better see how they complement each other.”

“The inspiration is hard to define, it’s instinctive and, admittedly, somewhat experimental. 

Like many artists and interior designers, Stephen struggles to pick a favourite colour, describing them as a “moving target”. That said, he is currently drawn to very clear and strong primary and secondary colours, such as the bright golden yellow of Resene Broom.

“When working in my various art gallery roles, I was always inspired by artists and what they were achieving,” he says. “Now however, I have an even greater appreciation. The belief in themselves to put up the resources, time and money to have something in the public domain that leaves them wide open for both validation and rejection, it’s very brave.”

View Stephen’s art on Instagram: @stephenburkedesigns

And view Stephen’s interior design: www.stephenburkedesigns.com

Published: 22 Feb 2023