Steph Simpson - 'Me and Norman'

I am originally from a very small town in the Eastern Cape called Uitenhage. While most don’t think it’s anything special to come from this small town (let alone even know where Uitenhage is), I have learnt to take pride in these small and simple beginnings. I come from a bilingual, working-class home where being creative was seen as a waste and a luxury but for me, creating images was part of my survival. I studied Fine Art at the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth in 2006, then I worked as a junior lecturer before moving to the Western Cape in 2013 to complete an Honours in Illustration (cum laude). I lectured at various institutions and have finally found my place as the Illustration lecturer at Red and Yellow, Creative School of Business in Cape Town. Whilst lecturing and creating, I am slowly working towards a Masters in Visual Arts.

My illustration brand name is ‚Me and Norman‘. I somehow conceptualized Norman in my 2nd year in a print making class while collaging creatures. Norman became my imaginary friend who accompanies me to every creative task. He helps me look a blank page in the eye and conquer it fearlessly!

My illustration style is not one set thing – I enjoy working in ink, gouache and collaging from old encyclopedias. My moto while creating is “Play until something happens” and the act of collaging is the most playful process. The creative process is all based on chance – it is by change that that one piece meets another and somehow they make a new image.
I take inspiration from scenes of nature that I have experienced: like a golden sunset or standing on the top of Lion’s Head with a 360 degree view of the city and all its surround water bodies or sitting in a field as the wind sings over the grass. These are all signs of the creator and nature is my cathedral. My collages play with this idea of the creator versus the created. They are always, somehow, about life and death, unintentionally – how nature reminds me of the creator, whoever they might be, and that I am small and a spec but still somehow significant.