Steven seeks to visualise controversial facts in a poetic way, by combining the beautiful and the mesmerising with a rawer, uglier truth. His subjects often revolve around the LGBTQIA+ community, women, immigration, minorities and environmental issues. In order to combat the heteronormative gaze, he looks for that specific provocation that triggers emotion. To him, the impotance lies in the consistency and untold story behind every work.

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The works on view in the YLA group show are part of the series ‘Le cri silencieux’ from 2023: « At the heart of Lisbon, a neighborhood steeped in history and emotion was relegated to the shadows of its own existence during the 2001 reconstruction, losing its soul to urbanization. Once a place of solidarity, social life, and shared stories, relocation inflicted a deep wound, depriving residents of their former community. Today, 'bairro da Curraleira' stands, but it has lost its voice and vitality. Residents struggle to preserve their memories. A photographic series captures the current precariousness and resilience of those who dream of reclaiming their lost community. They sometimes feel like weeds, unwanted and neglected in a constantly changing city. An art installation echoes these challenges, reflecting the writings on the neighborhood's walls, the fragility of the buildings, the anonymity of the inhabitants, and the signs of dampness. It serves as a poignant reminder of the vulnerability of communities in the face of urban development and the importance of preserving collective memory, even in the ruins of the past. »

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On the work Faggot, 2022:
Ceramic tiles, Wood panels, 250 x 250 cm
 

« Through my personal take on the art form of tiles, I wanted to glorify minorities in a postmodern way with the traditional Portuguese azulejos. The idea was to create an azuleijo mural

suitable for our era. To detach the work from the wall and placing it on the floor symbolizes how fragile the concept of masculinity ultimately is. Boys have been told that being «man» means being tough, that it is all about hunting and being in control. By constantly repressing their emotions and giving into the systematic violence expected from them, they slowly become victims of their own status. I tried to visualize the phallocentric society through an all men orgy: Today powerful men flakering each other and deciding over women and oppressed minorities lives.

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The cis male gaze forbidding any so called «femininity». The toxic cis gay hate towards everything not fully «masculine». In short, men not rising any higher than slightly above the surface. However, elevating themselves from this societal mass grave while emulating the revolutionary figure of Marianne, we observe the oppressed minorities penetrating the higher spheres. Queer men (in my eyes meaning deconstructed non heteronormative men), transgender people, POCs head towards a god-like vulva figure. God is woman, it’s time to break free from archaic structures. »