2026

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2026 paintings

Index of paintings by Stephen Gibb

2025 paintings

2026 Paintings

Canadian painter Stephen Gibb is known for his vibrant Pop Surrealism oil paintings and his commissioned work with the music industry. His bright mashups of iconic characters often address the existential issues and anxieties of contemporary society, which are contrasted by moments of joy and transcendence. “We are reared on nursery rhymes and fairy tales, so why not extend those lessons and conventions into more adult-based themes?” says Gibb. His paintings offer a chance for the viewer to ignite their own creativity and construct their own narrative – informed by their personal experiences and the associations they may derive from the imagery.
Familiar to millions around the globe his artwork is indelibly linked to the album art of hip hop artist Trippie Redd and to some degree, British singer/songwriter Hope Tala, a favourite of Barak Obama.

It is his belief that art is a participatory undertaking — that no art exists in a vacuum, nor without an observer. His paintings offer a chance for the viewer to ignite their own creativity and engage the work through their own narrative – informed by their personal experiences and the associations they may derive from the imagery.

Artist Statement 2026

I am fascinated by the intangible essence art has that grabs you and pulls you in — the aspect that lingers and continues to tug at your memory when the artwork is no longer in front of you. To me, this is the uncanny magic and mystery that taps a level of subjective depth far beyond the “thingness” of the art as an object. The most direct line to the source of this magic is through the imagination.
Exploring concepts outside of the physical reality that we see and experience every day, I relish the playground of freedom established by the Surrealists, where the uninhibited mind can go wherever it wants and can contemplate whatever it dares. I can examine the existential dread and bliss of contemporary life using invented symbols and iconic stereotypes that have emerged from pop culture and explore areas of personal interest. I can think out loud in pictures.

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Art Comp 2023 — Show your Support!

“Essence of Hope and Despair” — Stephen Gibb, oil on panel, 2021

This painting is 1 of 100 artworks vying for the ART COMP 2023 prize. I am looking for support from friends and followers. Please consider voting for my painting today! To vote for this work visit the online voting site (https://artcomp.awardsplatform.com/) or visit Art Comp 2023 in person at 100 Kellogg Lane in London ON

Stephen Gibb at the Art Comp 2023 opening night event

Essence of Hope and Despair, 36″ x 24″, oil on panel by Stephen Gibb, 2021

CLICK TO VOTE!

About the painting:

Tapping into the realm of psychology, the surface of water is the threshold between the air and the depths but also represents levels of consciousness and awareness. The skull has penetrated the surface and is entering the murky depths where unseen and unknown things dwell. The vicious-looking fish lurks about in a threatening manner…the psychoanalytic submarine searches for meaning, while a submerged rock mound echoes the strongholds that pierce the surface like island totems — once a refuge but now a drowned, mysterious relic.

Hope takes the shape of the exploding yellow head on the far left. Visions of colourful delights flow out of his head, candies and flowers support a childhood source of comfort in the shape of a teddy bear. But there is a sinister side to hope, perhaps when hope becomes delusional. The teddy bear is actually coming apart and his insides (his essence) is being devoured by two other figures.

Despair is the eggman on the far right. Lost in his anguish, his head leaks the essence that once held him together, his hope of evolving from egg state to bird is no more. The green figure above him echoes his emotional state and dark clouds brew in the background with foreboding menace.

The spaceman is the explorer, surveying the mayhem, like an agent of psychoanalysis assessing the situation, from the safety of his self-contained suit.

Frank Zappa once said, “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture”. I feel the same way about writing about art. Art is its own language with only awkward translations available. I can repeat the notions that crossed my mind when creating the painting, but most of that would be irrelevant. I could deconstruct the process employed while producing the piece but that would only be an abstraction of a bunch of arbitrary steps. I could agonize over all the decisions that went into the painting but that would be like describing all the bolts that go into the making of an automobile. The composition tends towards a harmonious sense of balance — a measuring out of points of interest, detail and colour but it reveals nothing significant.

Essence of Hope and Despair

Painting in Art Comp 2023 competition

A painting by pop surrealist Stephen Gibb

Artist: Stephen Gibb, oil on wood panel, 36″ x 24″, 2021

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Psychopathology of Wants and Needs – Pop surrealism painting by Canadian Artist Stephen Gibb, 36″ x 24″, oil on panel, 2022

This painting started off a few light years away from where it ended up. The original concept was to do something around the theme of “bliss”, examining the things that bring us to this occasionally visited state of mind.

I envisioned a head absorbing the things around it, which would have been things that evoke the state of bliss in people. The head became a skull, full of holes because it just seemed like a cool idea. I think sometimes the things that people seek to attain their blissful state can also be deadly and I liked the “ultimate conclusion” commentary by including the skull, acknowledging it as the final destination of bliss and of life.

Everything I came up with just seemed lame after that. So, I thought I’d explore the foundations of why we seek bliss. It occurred to me that maybe there was something in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs that could give some insight into the concept.

This is where I abandoned the whole bliss theme.

Instead, I focused on representations of “needs” in my typical left-field approach, bubblegum surrealism style. A trivialized representation of food (sustenance) became a pie, which I doubled back on, posing the pie in the act of replicating himself…rolling out some dough for a crust. Reproduction is on the lower level on Maslow’s hierarchy and is represented by the pie and the gooey union of the two lolly pops, who produce offspring at the point of their sticky embrace. The progeny then takes an ironic bite out of the parent in an act of defiance and rebellion — the normal function of a teenager (LOL). At the far right a figure looks at his fingers as they produce offspring, which appear to just be fodder for the crow standing nearby (the circle of life).

The figure on the far right also represents clothing, shelter, property, security, which are lower, basic requirements according to Maslow.

The sleeping potato symbolizes, sleep, air and water — also basic needs, in spite of the absurdity of the situation.

As we move upward the needs become more abstract and less material. The two lollies could represent love, intimacy, family and connection, whereas the green lolly’s floating-away crown touches on the area Maslow characterized as “esteem”, the realm of status, recognition and self-esteem, things I think our society puts too much stock in. As well we put absurd value on wants versus needs and a title was suggested to me — The Psychopathology of Need and Wants.

At the right side of the mountain is Sisyphus as an ape, pushing a large brain up the incline, symbolizing evolution, strength and the struggle to raise the “required needs” to the pinnacle of the hierarchy, which is represented by the pyramid man at the top, radiating out to embrace everything in his “blissful” state of self-actualization. - Artist Stephen Gibb, Nov., 2022

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Fool’s Paradise Lost – Pop surrealism painting by Stephen Gibb, 36″ x 24″, oil on panel, 2022

The idea of “loss” and “the Fool” often percolate up in my work. The nature of loss is a pretty straight-forward concept — one that everyone can relate to. The Fool on the other hand is a concept that we impulsively project onto the “other” and avoid associating it with “the self”.

The actual truth is we all do foolish things, have foolish thoughts put value on meaningless things. In essence, we reject the fool, but recognise the Fool in ourselves — unless living in a delusional world of denial.

My portrayal of the Fool is a stereotype. A goofy innocent, oblivious of the dire nature of his situation, grasping in a futile attempt to preserve things he values — things that are empty and hollow. He wears the Dunce cap, just to formally label him in case there is any confusion in an attempt to make the figurative into the literal.

The Fool longs for love, acceptance, power, and wealth, but all these things are in eminent peril or were mere illusion to start with. His soul mate is a candy apple headed doll, which brings the “Paradise Lost” component of the title into the painting. In John Milton’s epic poem, the subject of Adam and Eve being tempted by Satan and their expulsion from “paradise” is prominently explored. In the painting, the doll-wife figure is the forbidden fruit incarnate. She has already been partaken of, so the sin has been committed and she is now just evidence of the Fool’s guilt.

In his other hand is a mock sceptre, a symbol of power but a powerless candy substitute. Inside is a crown which is bait for the Fool’s ego, an aspiration to fulfil his longing for prestige and power. Candy is a frivolous and pleasure centred treat. It echoes his pointless, pleasure driven desire for elevating his position. Junk food for his empty soul.

An equally empty and ephemeral balloon ironically expresses his disdain of the fool as he passes overhead. The balloon’s existence is always in peril and its imminent demise foreshadows the impending doom of the Fool.

The threats that impinge on the Fool come from above and below. Overhead a ball of fire from the heavens hurtles gleefully toward the Fool, while below a resourceful devil claws away at the foundation supporting the completely oblivious Fool. Oblivion being a key condition of a foolish and irresponsible outlook on life.

An apparition of a god-like entity looms in the clouds, overseeing the sins of the Fool. If God does not play with dice, at least he plays games with the Fool. The landscape is a crumbling board game with player markers making their way through their existence. Above, a laughing die delights in the scene below, his contribution of chance outcomes determines the fate of the players.

Below the die a daring paper doll attempts to eat fire in an absurd act of self-destruction. This could parallel any self-destructive and foolish behaviour that we as humans engage in for whatever reason, ultimately ending our chance at Paradise. The paper doll sits on a slowly draining snow globe, a souvenir of paradise in decay, reinforcing the theme of this Pop Surrealism painting. A crumbling column opposite also prepares to topple, its heyday long past.

To add to the sense that things are deeply wrong, a sheep plays tug-of-war with a spear of broccoli over a piece of meat. The incongruent behaviour of both characters (one a vegetable, the other a vegetarian) may be a way of me commenting on the topsy-turvy world we live in.

To the right side of the painting a thuggish frog wields a club threateningly at the Fool. It appears he has already smashed his way into the Fool’s safe as his fortune trickles away. A fool and his money…

A slice of mouldy bread, which is also jargon for money, angrily pushes a clock (time) towards the edge of the cliff. In essence the clock foretells that the Fool’s time is up and as the die (death) falls off the edge, the game is over…

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The Aimless Meander: The creative process involved in composing Dr. Daydream Prescribes Aggressive Psychotherapy

Meditating on the concept of daydreaming conjures all kinds of stereotypes, mostly those perpetuated by pop culture and the associated canon of symbols established by TV, music, movies, and comics. A reclined child staring into the clouds and seeing shapes appear is the standard cliche, which I wanted to avoid.

Dr. Daydream Prescribes Aggressive Psychotherapy — Stephen Gibb, 36″ x 24″, oil on panel, 2022

When I decided to explore the concept of daydreams for a painting I began with the idea of a figure in a daydream state, emersed physically, into the stuff that daydreams are made of.
My initial figure took shape as an old man, eyes closed, lost in his imagination, represented by an eyeball floating in liquid, where his brain should have been.

Line work for the painting “Dr. Daydream Prescribes Aggressive Psychotherapy” by Stephen Gibb, 2002

Dr. Daydream

I christened him Dr. Daydream and I set about imagining his world. I envisioned a guide leading Dr. Daydream through his dream, which could be none other than his own brain. Astride his brain a jovial Humpty Dumpty takes his hand to help him navigate the bizarre landscape. Humpty steers the brain but is oblivious of his duty since he looks backwards instead of at the road ahead. This represents the meandering uncertainty of where a daydream will lead us. The journey is an adventure without destination.

From Dark to Light

I wanted Dr. Daydream moving away from the darkness and into the bright future ahead. This is kind of illustrating an escapist view of daydreaming. Rather than dealing with the foreboding darkness, his attention is directed away at the bright colours and the large happy face that dominates the right side above him. Mr. Moonlight looks down with sorrowful eyes as the Doctor moves away from the darkness of the woods and wilderness behind him.

Time Doesn’t Fly, it Floats Away

Dr. Daydream was wearing a wristwatch, but it has detached and is floating away. In a dream state, time has no domain over the dreamer…

Title Just Isn’t Cutting it

Things from here out started to get more and more associative and detached from the pure notion of daydreaming. I decided to expand the title to encompass the broadening scope of the content. Dr. Daydream Prescribes Aggressive Psychotherapy works better, and now adds more width for tangential exploration. The vast realm of psychology can now be conjured, and my diversions of whimsy can be excused away.

Walking is A Time-Space Activity

Dr. Daydream steps forward and his most recent footstep is ghosted by a bare foot stepping in sticky goo. My thought here was to represent a movement through time and the bare, primitive foot being a step back in evolution, contrasted with the present-time foot.

Protective Headgear Recommended for All

I like to insert interlocutors into the foreground of my paintings—seemingly detached observers helping the viewer link with the overwhelming weirdness going on behind. Enter Helmet Head.
Helmet Head is more concerned with the wondrous object in his grasp but helps add to the general mystery of the overall image.

Idea Thief

OK, sometimes I rehash an idea that I’ve used before and by that action, I become my own idea thief. Helmet Head has a socket in his dome, from which a slimy creep removes a lightbulb. Symbolism borrowed from cartoons and comics, probably dating back to Edison. I said I wanted to avoid symbolic cliches, but here is an exception.

A Phallic Rocket Becomes a Knife

In rough sketches I positioned a rocket in the sky above the good Doctor’s head, leaving a trail that swirled around his head, between his legs and to its beginnings, somewhere over and beyond the trees. As things progressed in the sketch, I decided to turn the rocket into a knife, a more aggressive phallus, and have it sail between his legs in a psychosexual trajectory but embed it into his brain. I’ll let you do your own psychoanalysis of this. A certain F word may help.

The Red Balloon

Another symbol of floating along…the balloon is a reference to the aimless meander of daydreaming. In this case the balloon drifts through the air and makes it impossible for a caretaker to keep Dr. Daydream’s head corked. His essence is released in a psychedelic burst of colour…setting the stage for the multicoloured right-hand side of the painting.

Building Out the Composition with Unencumbered Impulses

The basic image was composed pretty much as it was chronologically described above. At this point there was some need for smaller details and compositional elements to be added for balance and interest. The Brain crawls along the ground but is distracted by a skull with the cap removed and examines the contents as he pours it out. This could easily represent psychotherapy. The symbol for the Greek letter Psi is added to the knife, which is also widely understood as a symbol for psychology. Clouds form from stars and hearts in a cheesy reference to seeing shapes (Pareidolia) where they don’t really exist. A spaceship bears witness to the events below, representing a naïve or innocent bystander. Dr. Daydream’s left hand is grounded by a tap root, symbolizing the roots of everything with nature. He also wears an interesting signet ring of no real importance but will keep viewers challenging themselves to formulate a meaning. Human nature demands meaning from the things in its environment, however, there is no direct line to interpreting the painting “correctly”. Some symbolism may come easily to the viewer and the meaning may be more commonly held than others. The true joy is identifying things through your own idiosyncratic filters and biases and deriving your own meaning. My paintings give you permission to explore yourself by mulling over the images.

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2022

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Index of paintings by Stephen Gibb 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009

2022 paintings
I imagine a world where the visually rich language of fairy tales and nursery rhymes extends into adulthood. The traditional nature of this kind storytelling is best presented with visual aids; simple, straightforward text accompanied by fantastic illustrations. In our culture, this is a conventional part of our collective upbringing and experience. These stories often convey lessons, which are coded in familiar, symbolic language, and are likely where we first encounter metaphor and allegory.

We carry these symbolic codes into adulthood—like wolf equals bad, pig equals good. The narratives I deliver in my paintings utilize this common trove of visual references; however with more mature and timely messages.

The intertwined relationship between language and image has always guided me in constructing my artwork—using visual puns, symbolic themes and literal translations from words into paintings. Often the compositions and assemblies of characters seem to clash in a surreal incongruence, but on some level, they relate by a verbal association or some idiomatic commonality. My aim is to exploit these visual conventions and present something visually arousing with dynamic color and compelling content.

The level of “payoff” sophistication that the viewer “gets” from the paintings is relative to their own personal experience and history. There may be universal themes revealed, and there may be idiosyncratic dead ends. There is no correct reading of the images other than what the viewer extracts on their own. Even my opinion and the depth of what they mean to me may change from day to day.

Stephen Gibb lives and works in the small town of Amherstburg, in southern Ontario, Canada and maintains a second studio in Windsor. He earned a B.F.A. in visual arts from the University of Windsor and is currently represented by the St. Germain gallery in Toronto. Among the cities he has exhibited in are San Diego, Sacramento, and Hollywood— the hotbed of California’s Lowbrow and Pop Surrealism community. His work is collected around the globe and has gained widening interest since working on the album art for hip hop artist Trippie Redd.

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2021

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Index of paintings by Stephen Gibb 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009

2021 paintings
1. What does your art mean to you?
I feel like that is like asking “What does your face mean to you?” It’s like a part of me that I can’t escape, that I’ve accepted, become accustomed to and that identifies me to those around me.
2. What’s your background?
Canadian—went to art school at the University of Windsor
3. What does your artwork aim to say?
My artwork says that I have a lot of questions and thoughts about humans and aims to say that you should too.
4. Who are your biggest influences?
The indelible influences I always tap into are the freedom and madness of surrealism, the humour and vibe of Mad magazine and cartoons, the hyperbolic insanity of hot rod artist Big Daddy Roth, the irony and morality of the (original) Twilight Zone, the crazy colour and carefree composition of psychedelic art, the chaos and wonder of Bosh and Bruegel and the tidy logic and visual storytelling of Norman Rockwell.
5. Which current artworld trends are you following?
Are there any trends? I feel like anything goes any more and that doesn’t seem like much of a trend. I remain aware and cognizant of things unfolding in the artworld but can’t say I really follow anything.

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Nighttime Quells the Frisson of Breathing Sunlight — Stephen Gibb, 36″ x 24″, oil on panel, 2020

Canadian artist Stephen Gibb

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Hopefully you can find what you are looking for in the above links or by a simple Google search. If you have any questions or want to reach out to me personally you can always send an email at: info@stephengibb.com

Vax —Canadian artist Stephen Gibb, 36′ x 24″, oil on panel, 2021

More from Canadian artist Stephen Gibb: On the surface it would be easy to categorize my “style” as a blend of Surrealistic fluidity, Northern Renaissance narratives with Cartoon/Comic Book characters in a Nursery Rhyme tale of morality. I guess if it were to fit a trend it would be a remnant of the Hot Rod and Psychedelic art of the 60s, which today is recognized as Pop Surrealism.

I am fascinated by neuroscience and psychology, which probably flavours everything I do. When composing a painting I will ask myself or have specific ideas about what the characters are thinking and experiencing. I think it’s my way of opening a dialogue with the viewer, hoping that they ask the same questions.

I have always been interested in the human condition and the complexity of human nature. I tend to think in “universal” themes, which may be skewed by my own biases and perspective, but they often serve as my point of inspiration. What could be characterized as existential themes, ones that cross cut the inner workings and emotions of being human—being alone, being faced with trying to make sense of existence—arise all the time in my work.

Most often the external influences on my art are just reactions to what I perceive about the situations around me. I do draw a lot of inspiration from concepts like consumerism and capitalism—our nature to indulge in excess and exploit the planet for personal gain. By extension that exploitation of the planet trickles through in environmental messages occasionally. This year I also responded to the pandemic with a plague-themed painting. In it I used some of my standard themes of decay, threat , anxiety and self-preservation.I think my introverted nature has directed most of my life experience and forced me to internalize things in order to evaluate and search for meaning. I try hard to understand things and have come to respect the inevitable confusion. Confusion is just one of the ingredients that shape meaning.

I come from a comfortable middle-class background that nurtured a thirst for experience, exploration, curiosity and inspiration. When someone turns a concept I’ve held on its head I am always shook and love that mind-blowing feeling of new discovery. I have a university education and a BFA in visual arts, so I had the good fortune of that experience as a foundation. Western pop culture has definitely played more of a role in contributing to my art than religion, gender or ethnicity.

I’ve never had to sustain myself by selling art, so I never fell into the trap of producing commoditised or commodified artwork—just simply painted to sell. My main income was elsewhere and that gave me a deep respect for the time and effort I wanted to put into my painting. I painted what I wanted without a market in mind and it slowly developed over the years to what it is today. I don’t think it could have worked any other way.

Canadian artist Stephen Gibb

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Girl Eats Sun: Background story to the artwork for Hope Tala

I was contacted in the summer of 2020 to work with Hope Tala on creating some album art for her EP Girl Eats Sun.

When I asked if she was the “girl” in the title, she confirmed my suspicion and I knew I had to incorporate a portrait of her into the artwork.

She gave me a list of song titles — Girl Eats Sun, All My Girls Like To Fight, Crazy, Drugstore, Easy To Love Me, Mulholland and Cherries. I though, why not use these titles as the source for the imagery on the cover as well. So each song title became symbolically represented and combined with the image of Hope herself. Each title conjured a rich image in my mind that fit perfectly with my quirky way of painting in my pop surrealism style. I worked up a rough sketch that blended all the seperate images into one big scene of craziness.

I got Hope’s blessings on my sketch and I jumped into the painting with both feet. Everything came together into one big, bright unified image—reminiscent of psychedelic art from the 1960s. The exaggerated colour and playful characters help give the painting an undeniable sense of crazy fun.

I’ll let you figure out the rest for yourself.

Interview in Euphoria

Interview in House of Solo

Hope Tala on Twitter

Hope Tala on Instagram

Stephen Gibb on Instagram

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Dropping off paintings at St. Germain Gallery in Toronto.

Anyone in the GTA looking for my art may be pleased to know that it may be closer than you think.

I have been working with the St. Germain Gallery at 3358 Yonge St. in Toronto since May 2018 and they have a number of my paintings available for view and sale in their gallery.

I would encourage you to visit Young Kim and Chad Fobert at the gallery or take some time to browse their Online site at www.stgermaingallery.com

Paintings available include:

SOLD — Don’t Poop On My Party!—Stephen Gibb, 324″ x 24″, oil on panel, 2020

Don’t Poop On My Party! — 24” x 21.5”, oil on panel, 2020

The Panpsychic Candy Apple, Stephen Gibb, 36″ x 24″, oil on panel, 2020

The Panpsychic Candy Apple — 36” x 24”, oil on panel, 2020

SOLD — Death of Contemplation, Stephen Gibb, 36″ x 24″, oil on panel, 2019

Death of Contemplation — 36” x 24”, oil on panel, 2019

Spooky Action at Close Proximity — Stephen Gibb, 36″ x 24″, oil on panel, 2019

Spooky Action At Close Proximity — 36” x 24”, oil on panel, 2019

Red Dot Magnified 20,000% — 43” circle, oil on panel, 2018

Bread #9 — 12″ x 12″, oil on panel, 2018

Bread #16 — 12″ x 12″, oil on panel, 2018

Bread #17 — 12″ x 12″, oil on panel, 2018

Frog Prince at the Gates of Decay, painting by Canadian surrealist Stephen Gibb, 48″ x 36″, oil on panel, 2017

Frog prince at the gates of decay — 48″ x 36″, oil on panel, 2017

Happy Moon Face – Stephen Gibb, oil on panel, 2017

Moon Face — 43” circle, oil on panel, 2017

Persistence of decay

Persistence of Decay — 24” x 24”, oil on panel, 2015

The lovelorn and the cycle of lies

The Lovelorn and the Cycle of Lies — 24” x 24”, oil on panel, 2015

The Icarus Clock — 24” x24”, oil on panel, 2014

The Sourdough Dolly and Her Salivating Solid-door Ally Choose Either Salad or Surreal Cereal as Sir Eel and Salvador Dali Look on — 24” x 24”, oil on panel, 2014

Stressed for Time — 24” x 24”, oil on panel, 2014

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21st Century Surrealism

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