We catch up with Stephen Doherty

Q: When did you know that you wanted to be an artist?

A: I had really great art and textiles teachers in high school, Maria Bannister and Anne Burke, who were super encouraging. They spurred on my curiosity and enthusiasm, introducing me to the work of lots of artists and fashion designers. It made creative work feel like a real possibility rather than just a hobby.

Q: You studied at Central Saint Martins. Tell us about your time there—what did you study, and how did this shape your creative and professional journey?

A: I studied womenswear. It was a very competitive and demanding environment, but also an exciting place to develop creatively. One of the most important things I took away from CSM was the friendships I made there. I left the course and instead went to work for a designer, so it felt particularly meaningful to be invited back to teach there a few years later.

Q: Since CSM, you have become an alumni of Alexander McQueen’s Sarabande Foundation. How was the experience of working at the studio?

A: I loved my time at Sarabande. It was great to share the studios with creatives working across all disciplines. That kind of environment is very energising, people experimenting and collaborating. They also support their artists after they’ve left. My time at the studios ended in 2020 but I still work with them on various projects. I go back to Trino Verkade, the CEO, whenever I need advice.

Q: You began your Gratitude Blooms series in 2018 whilst at an artist residency in Goa. What are the themes behind this project, have they developed over time?

A: I began focussing on this series while on a residency in Goa at the end of monsoon season. The landscape felt washed clean and flowers were everywhere, growing through stone, gathered in offerings and placed at temples and shrines. There was a quiet rhythm to it, with fresh blooms constantly replacing those that had already faded.

Since then my focus has settled on the anemone. I’m drawn to its connotations of hope and its sense of strength wrapped in softness.

Q: The works themselves are so beautifully executed, carefully built up in veils of ink. How did this delicate technique develop?

A: It’s developed quite slowly through experimentation. I work with very diluted inks, building the image gradually in layers. Each layer affects the next, so the process requires patience. I’m drawn to how the layered translucency creates depth. The rest is then a play between the softness and static quality of the sepals. It’s still developing really, but the changes are more subtle.

Q: You have just released two new limited editions, Veiled Pink and Blush—published exclusively with K&M. What can you tell us about these works?

A: Both works are quite warm and feature pink blooms. Veiled Pink is neutral in tone with a light pink shade that subtly plays across the surface of the sepals. Blush features a bolder pink that fades in and out across a sepal shape that I’ve not explored before.

Q: What does your daily practice look like?

A: I usually begin by cleaning my brushes or working on drawings already in progress. Because the work is built in layers, there’s often a rhythm of painting, letting things dry and returning to them later.

Q: In extension to your practice, you have collaborated with major brands including Gucci, Jo Malone and COS. How have you found this experience?

A: I’ve loved it. I’m working on my own in the studio most of the time, so it's nice to shake that up when the opportunity arises and collaborate on something outside of my day to day practice.

Q: Can you share any upcoming work, exhibitions, or projects that you have lined up?

A: I’m working towards a solo show and an exciting project with Sarabande and many of their other artists that will launch later this year.