African American artist Stephen Namara is known for still-life painting, portraits, figures and landscapes, with a low-key moody character, that are often “snap shots” of moments in his life. His images that mysteriously speak of isolation offer space within which we can experience our own mental and emotional reactions to it without the need of academic explanation.

Stephen Namara has been exhibiting since 1980 in a variety of solo and group exhibitions, evolving a style of art all of his own. His drawing skills together with his research into his subjects, has enabled him to produce a highly acclaimed body of work. His works are held in major corporate, state and university collections, and he has been the recipient of numerous prizes in drawing.

Artist statement:

"The single unifying factor and focus in my work for the past two decades has been portraiture. Having been born in Africa and having spent part of my formative years there, I acknowledge my work reflects something of that mask-like quality to be found in African art. I think that the scale of the portraits attempts to create a "psychological space" in which the viewer is confronted."

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2009 “Paintings and Drawings,Skyline College, San Bruno,CA.

2007 ”New Work on Paper” Dolby Chadwick Gallery, San Francisco,CA.

2005 “Allusions and Variations”, Koplin Del Rio Gallery, West Hollywood,CA.

2003 Dolby Chadwick Gallery, San Francisco,CA.

2002 Atrium Gallery, St. Louis. MO.

2002 Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.

1999 “New Drawings”, Dolby Chadwick Gallery, San Francisco, CA.

1999 Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.

1997 Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.

1994 Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.

1993 Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.

1992 Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.

1992 Haines Gallery, San Francisco, CA.

1991 Fairfield Art Center, Fairfield, CA.

1990 Haines Gallery, San Francisco, CA.

1990 Merced College Art Gallery, Merced, CA.

1988 Haines Gallery, San Francisco, CA.

1986 Shenandoah Gallery, Sacramento, CA.

1981 San Francisco State University Gallery, San Francisco, CA.

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2019 Head to Toe, Andra Norris Gallery, Burlingame, CA

2017 “So—“ Andra Norris Gallery, Burlingame, CA

2014 "Naturally", popUp gallery, Alemeda, CA

2014 "Life-Live Exhibition and Live Demonstration, Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2013 "Life-Live Exhibition and Live Demonstration, Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2012 "Every-Body", popUp Gallery, Alemeda, CA

2011 "Contemporary Artist's Responses to African Art"; San Francisco African American Historical and Cultural Society,

San Francisco, CA

2011 "An Exhibit honoring Jacques Terzian", Bayview Opera House, San Francisco, CA

2010 “Thinning” A 24th Anniversary Exhibition”, Atrium Gallery, St. Louis, MO.

2008 “visions, surfaces and beyond”. Trition Museum, Santa Clara, CA.

2007 “25 th Anniversary Exhibition” Koplin Del Rio, Culver City, CA.

2007 “10th Year Anniversary Exhibition”, Dolby Chadwick Gallery, San Francisco, CA.

2004 “Drawings VII”, Koplin Del Rio Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.

2002 “The Perception of Appearance, A Decade of Contemporary American Figure Drawings”, Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA. (Catalogue)

2002 “Drawings VI”, Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.

2001 “New Works on Paper”, Atrium Gallery, St Louis, MO.2001 “ Storytellers: The Figure in Time and Place”, San Francisco State University. San Francisco, CA.

2000 “Drawings V”, Koplin Gallery Los Angeles, CA.

1998 “Drawings IV”, Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.

1996 “Drawn Conclusions”, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, CA.

1996 “Hand, Eye, Heart, Mind: Figurative Drawings, Golden West College, Huntington Beach, CA.

1996 “National Drawing Invitational Exhibition”, The Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, AR.

1995 “Eight Artists, Eight Views of the Figure”, Koplin Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.

1995 “ American Color: A Late 20th Century Perspective”, Louis Stern Fine Arts,West Hollywood, CA.1995 “ American Color”, Porter Troupe Gallery, San Diego, CA.

1995 “In The Black”, Luckman Fine Arts Gallery, Cal State, Los Angeles, CA.

1994 “Slice of Life: Contemporary Still Life”, Riverside Art Museum., Riverside, CA.

1994 “Out of Africa: Beyond Tradition”, Opts, San Francisco, CA.

1994 “ Drawing the Line”, Susan Cummins Gallery, Mill Valley, CA.

1994 “Lyricism and Light”, Palo Alto Cultural Center, Palo Alto, CA.

1993 “Drawings III”, Koplin Gallery, Santa Monica, CA.

1992 “Drawings II”, Koplin Gallery, Santa Monica, CA.

1992 “Encaustics”, Palo Alto Cultural Center, Palo Alto, CA.

1992 “Drawings”, Koplin Gallery, Santa Monica, CA.

1984 “The Point Gallery Artists”, San Francisco, CA.

1983 “New Prints”, A show organized by the Print council of Australia,Melbourne,Australia.

1982 “Druckgrafik”, traveling show of prints to San Francisco,Chicago and Braunschweig,Germany.

1982 “Introductions” Haines Gallery, San Francisco, CA.

1982 “Beyond Words 2”, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose, CA.

1981 “Approaches to Reality”, Lithographs by Bay Area Artists, Kaiser Center Gallery,Oaklnad, CA .

1981 “California Printmakers”, Art Link Gallery, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

1981 “California Drawing and Watercolor”, California State Fair, Sacramento, CA