Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Forbes.
Hi Stephanie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I feel like it all started for me the moment I exited the womb. My parents are both artists so it was somewhat inevitable, I suppose, that I would follow suit in my own way. I would always make ‘pretty things’ in grade school and I remember making art for my friends or rendering portraits of musicians I liked.
And in its ultimate reality, I was always making art to suppress my trials and pain. But, I think it got ‘real’ for me when I entered my 20s. Some of my childhood realities and suppressed memories began to surface and the pot kind of spilled over to where I had to initiate my investigations of self via art-making.
I got really conceptual. I let myself be liberated by making work that honored my own spirit’s journey and life processes; which allowed me to make work that was extremely authentic and genuine. Now, I’m 30 and I hope to look back in ten years feeling the same way about my growth.
My art has been very good to me and it has genuinely felt led by divine guidance. I use it to find my way, I use it to tell my story, I use it to release myself from horrible things, and I use it to place myself in the sweet and quiet moments that bring fruit to my table. It is my everything
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Gosh, no. I wish I could say otherwise but, then again, it wouldn’t be as sweet to know how hard I work will one day be a gracious testimony to my life. I have struggled the whole way but I have been met with sweet moments of ‘relax’ and ‘trust.’
Moments that acted as affirmations for me, where I could sit back for a minute and smile and breathe. I ultimately know that this path is for me and that I am doing exactly what I need to be so it makes the hard work seem so fluid and natural and that helps.
I’ve been to the bottom though and the wall out has been hard to climb. But I can taste the ultimate success, and all of the goals I have been working toward, coming.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a multidisciplinary artist who specializes in conceptual art-making and storytelling. I love building “chapters” in my life for people to experience using painting, sculpture, video, photography, and sound installation.
I feel like I have a lot to say and I take the pivotal moments of my life and use art to try and exemplify them and talk about things without a word. I would say I am most proud of my exhibition, ‘ROOT, Family Suppression and the Lowcountry’ exhibited at Cedar House Gallery in 2021.
I am also proud of the work I did when I opened my gallery, RO3 Gallery, with the installation, ‘Infested / Infest’ which talked about the parallels between childhood sexual trauma and the manifestations of hypochondria in adults as result.
That work was very healing for me and I feel very honored to have made it.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
The Bible has been a great spiritual resource for me. It allows me to be very theoretical with my work as I can kind of take my ego out of the physical life and see my life circumstances and the trials I have faced from a spiritual standpoint.
As I intend to stay divinely led, it has helped me conceptualize a lot of my work. Eva Hesse is one of my favorite artists to have ever walked this life and her story and book have been instrumental to me as well.
I love watching documentaries about artists in general- from Jean DuBuffet to Miriam Beerman and even Kanye. I just love the artist’s triumph and watching the witness of life be examined. It’s always so inspiring.
Contact Info:
- Email: ro3gallery@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.ro3gallery.com
- Instagram: @sforbes.art or @ro3_gallery
Image Credits
Robin Maaya
