Steven John Wilkins

Overview
View works. Pangolin Nocturn bronze sculpture by Steven John Wilkins
Pangolin Nocturn
View works

"What we find in art is how unavoidable meeting oneself is…

 

No matter what we pretend to be or what we are trying to imitate in the work, one inevitably ends up faced with oneself…

 

This shaping of matter; this shaping of life."

Steven John Wilkins (b. 1987, Johannesburg, South Africa) captures wildlife in perpetual motion and transformation - creating exquisite sculptural forms that shift, evolve, and exist suspended between stillness and movement.

 

Wilkins' process is deliberately intuitive. After thorough study, he sculpts entirely from memory, embracing "the distortion of memory" to let intuition shape forms.

 

Inspired by light, texture, and each animal's unique character, his work reveals intricate movement, spirit, and individuality.

 

His sculptures serve as meditative tributes to nature, merging technical mastery with deep emotional connection to the animal world.

Works
  • A pair of bronze crab sculptures by Steven John Wilkins
    Pair of Hermit Crabs
  • Pangolin Wushu bronze sculpture by Steven John Wilkins
    Pangolin "Wushu"
  • Pangolin Nocturn bronze sculpture by Steven John Wilkins
    Pangolin Nocturn
  • Scamper Bolting Hare bronze sculpture by Steven John Wilkins
    Scamper - Bolting Hare
Biography
A portrait of Steven John Wilkins
Steven John Wilkins
Steven John Wilkins (b. 1987, Johannesburg, South Africa) captures wildlife in states of perpetual motion and transformation - creating sculptural forms that shift, evolve, and exist suspended between stillness and movement. 
 
His sculptural journey began during adolescence with metal assemblages and material experimentation. Largely self-taught in these formative years, Wilkins developed an enduring fascination with form, texture, and structural integrity.
 
After school, he pursued professional goldsmithing for 12 years - a discipline that sharpened his precision, detail orientation, and technical craftsmanship. These skills now underpin his sculptural excellence.
 
A transformative commission changed everything: a leading gallery challenged Wilkins to create a bronze pangolin sculpture in 24 hours. That urgent creative moment reignited his sculptural passion and established his current trajectory - to create works of profound emotional resonance.
 
Wilkins' process is deliberately intuitive. Beginning with thorough study, he then sculpts entirely from memory, embracing "the distortion of memory" to let intuition shape final forms.
 
Inspired by light, texture, and each animal's unique character, his work reveals intricate movement, spirit, and individuality.
 
Exhibited extensively across leading art galleris and institutions in South Africa, Wilkins works from his Johannesburg studio, where exploration and refinement continue.
Exhibitions