Stephen Andrews

Stephen Andrews (born 1956) is a Canadian artist based in Toronto, Ontario, known for his multidisciplinary practice that includes painting, drawing, animation, and ceramics. He was born in Sarnia, Ontario, and is a graduate of the visual arts program at York University in Toronto.

His process is notable for its conceptual and material experimentation. He is recognized for a signature technique in which he manually recreates the pixelated effect of digital media, rubbing crayons over a fine mesh to build his images dot by dot. In his words, this method allows him to "interrogate the technological interface that delivers the message" and explore the tension between the artist's hand and objectified digital moments. Andrews' work often explores themes of memory, identity, technology, and mortality, frequently referencing media imagery and political events. A significant portion of his work has dealt with themes of mortality and loss, notably in his Facsimile series (1991-92), which used faxed obituary portraits of men who died from HIV/AIDS as source material. He has also explored political events, such as in The Quick and the Dead (2004), a series of drawings derived from video footage of the Iraq War.

Andrews' work has been exhibited extensively across Canada and internationally. He was the subject of a major survey exhibition, Stephen Andrews POV, organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario in 2015. He is a recipient of the Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts, which he received in 2019. His art is held in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Schwartz Art Collection at Harvard Business School, the Art Gallery of Hamilton, and the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, among others.