About

Stephen Conroy was born in Helensburgh, Scotland in 1964.  He attended the Glasgow School of Art, where he continued through postgraduate study and finished in 1987. By 1989, Conroy's work had gained international recognition. The artist has remained in Scotland, where he currently lives and works. 

A clear influence on Conroy's style is Francis Bacon; while his work does not feature the furious, twisted portraiture of Bacon, Conroy does achieve a stark tension and nakedness that expresses a similar attitude toward the human condition. Conroy is primarily a figure painter, and has recently created a number of self-portraits in both paint and print.  His mastery at drawing the human is evident in these firm and communicative portraits. A stark, simple background and a single, pensive figure are all Conroy needs to create the intense images that characterize his style. 

Conroy's work is part of a number of public and private collections, including: The British Council, London, England; Contemporary Art Society, London, England; Frissiras Museum, Athens, Greece; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York; National Portrait Gallery, London, England; Robert Fleming Holdings Ltd., London, England; The Royal College of Surgeons of England; Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, Scotland; Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland; and the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, England.