Familial

Steve Tierney

What pieces or projects have you been working on lately?
I recently curated an exhibition of 14 artists, including myself, at a historic gallery located high on a cliff above the Pacific Ocean on the south coast of Sydney, Australia. The show was titled Familial, and each artist was invited to consider how connections and creative influences are passed between people through family, friendship, and memory. I wanted to look at how relationships with family members and friends can shape who we are and how we create things. Some of the artists collaborated directly with family members or close friends, while others reflected on the people and experiences that have influenced them.

It was a moving and beautiful exhibition featuring really diverse artwork. For my own work, I created collages and then had my uncle paint on them. I also made other collages using drawings and paintings made by my own children.

What did you learn (or unlearn) while working on it?
I learned that everyone has a different and important story to tell when it comes to family and how they are influenced by the people in their lives. I also learned to trust other people. This was the first time that I had curated an exhibition of this size. I had to trust myself and my decisions, but also allow the artists time to put in the work and come together to help me produce the exhibition as a collaborative experience.

What words, ideas or emotions were running through your head?
Connection, Family, Trust, Collaboration, Old, New.

I thought a lot about my father, John Tierney, who passed away one year ago, and my uncle, Kevin Tierney, who I collaborated with on this exhibition. Both men were influential in my creative practice in different ways growing up. I also thought a lot about the influence I now have on my own children, and the inspiration they give me in my art making and my life.

I was nervous because I generally like to do everything myself and I find it hard to ask for help. But in the end, I felt good that I had put my trust into the show and the artists. Everyone made such amazing work and was supportive of me and the ideas I had. I was grateful and felt a lot of pride in myself and in all the artists who contributed such beautiful and thoughtful pieces.

Were there any conversations, movies, music, or books that made their way into that work?
There were lots of conversations at the start of the process between me and my wife, who helped me conceptualise the exhibition. Later, my friend and artist Lily Guest helped organise all the social media promo and pick a couple of key artists for the show. She played a big part in how the exhibition came together, and in helping me feel confident it would be good.

There is always music playing when I’m working. Lately it’s been a Mexican group called Karen y Los Remedios.

Books played a role too. I cut up and collaged books for my own artworks, of course. But books also featured in one of the standout artworks. An interactive piece by two young women was made up of a couch and a big organic floral sculpture. Visitors could sit on the couch, grab one of the books scattered nearby, and read as if they were at home. For them, it was their way of connecting to family.

What’s been the most difficult thing you’ve faced recently in your creative process?
Probably finding enough time to dedicate to my practice. I have two young children, and it is a balancing act between allowing time for my children and my family, as well as feeding my own passions and inspirations to want to create artwork all the time. I believe I’m in a place where the two live in harmony and in support of each other. I don’t think I could have one without the other anymore. But it is not an easy process.

What is your favorite coffee shop and why do you like going there?
There is a coffee shop close to my house, Black Market. It’s on the way to the beach and they make a very strong coffee. I drink a lot of coffee, and always strong. I like this coffee shop because it reminds me how lucky I am to live where I do. Most of the time people look like they’ve just come from the beach or are on their way to the beach. The staff are friendly and the barista knows how I like my coffee.

If your life were a movie this month, what would it be called and who would write the soundtrack?
The movie would be called Out of Time, because lately I’ve been juggling a ton of projects alongside family life, waking up and working super early just so I can get things done. Honestly, though, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Whenever I have a spare moment, I make the most of it and get to the beach or am surrounded by nature.

The soundtrack would have to be by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, just because they are my favourite musicians. But also, they write great music for film. For example, The Proposition, The Assassination of Jesse James, The Road, and so many more.

Which studios, laboratories, or workshops have you collaborated with recently or would you like to collaborate with in the future?
For this group exhibition, I collaborated with Lily Guest. She runs a virtual gallery space called The Guest Gallery. We have only known each other about a year, but in that time, she has helped me with my own solo exhibition in February 2026, and she has invited me to be part of her own group exhibitions. I would say we have become friends, but also, I like to work with her because she is really motivated and professional. As I mentioned, I find it hard to put trust in other people to get things done the way that I would do it myself. But from the moment I met her, I could tell she was someone who can get things done and do them with care and style.

Recommend one or more artists you follow who inspire you, and tell us what you like most about their work or their way of working.
I’d like to recommend two artists who inspire me. One is a young woman named Giovanna Smith. She is a recent graduate of art at the university near here. She paints beautiful images of her family from old photographs. She is inspiring purely for her positive energy and motivation. It’s really refreshing to see someone at the start of their career working hard and achieving great things already.

The other artist is Simon Welsh. He is a collage artist and a friend. We are both supported by Sydney Collage Society and have exhibited in group shows together. He is someone I have watched transform over the last five years or more. He makes powerful collages that challenge viewers’ perspectives, which I like to do in my own work. Lately, he has been receiving some well-deserved recognition within the international collage community.