East London based Stephanie Bester holds a Masters in Visual Art and has been a practicing artist for 8 years. She first discovered her love of art while she was still working as a Nurse. “I’d always had an adventurous spirit, but it would take 30 years of being in a nursing career before I’d discover my true calling as an artist…I took up drawing, mostly as a hobby, and quickly realised it made me feel more relaxed, excited and fulfilled, all at once.”

Stephanie shares that it was her late husband, Paul, who lit the creative spark by encouraging her to take up art classes after seeing her drawings. His words "Believe, Begin, Become" are what motivate her. “I was a student who was well into my 40s”, she says, “and had to adjust to university life all over again. There were times when I felt like throwing in the towel, but looking back, I’m so glad I didn’t… Art has helped me to find a new direction and purpose in life. To know that one is never too old to do something different.”

Stephanie’s artworks sell locally and internationally and have featured in numerous magazines such as Design Ways. Her sculptures and paintings are linked in design, as she creates oil paintings that include images of her bronze sculptures to place them within a more meaningful environment.

Her sculptures are inspired by her love for nature and her interest in the relationships that humans have with one another and the environment. “I believe we’ve forgotten about the relationship we share with animals, the environment, as well as each other... The concept behind my artworks is to explore the complex and intricate nuances behind womanhood and the effect that the transformation of female role has.”