About the Artist

Graham Stokes

Statement

Ideas for my paintings come from the everyday and sometimes from film stills. The process starts when something catches my eye. Rather than let it pass, I try to work out what it is that interests me, sometimes tucked away in the mundane. This eyecatcher then forms the basis of the painting.

This process helps me find richness and interest in the kind of places where most of us were raised and/or live. I also hope that the paintings encourage the viewer to imagine their own stories in there.

Graham Stokes was born in 1942 in the town of Wednesfield. He worked as a civil engineer for over 30 years, after which he retired and attended Central St Martins College of Art & Design obtaining a BA (Hons) in painting. He currently works as a professional artist in the borders town of Galashiels.

Education

1993 - 1994 Foundation diploma (distinction) Central St Martins, London

1994 - 1998 BA (Hons) Central St Martins, London

Group Exhibitions

1996 City Office Show, London

2002 ‘Where are they now’ All Saints Centre, London

2005 Staffordshire Open, Shrewsbury

Stoke Open, Stoke on Trent

2006 Stoke Open, Stoke on Trent

2007 New Art, Birmingham

2008 Gateway Gallery, Shrewsbury

‘Viewpoints’ Glasgow Botanical Gardens

2009 Staffordshire Open

2012 Scottish Society of Artists, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh

2024 Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh annual exhibition online

2025 ‘Art & Artists’ Halliwell’s House Museum

Solo Exhibitions

2019 ‘What I am looking for’ Hawick Museum, Selkirk

Private Collections

Central St Martins