About the artist

Steffanie Tisi

I’m Steffanie Tisi, a Melbourne-based artist working under the name steff.arttt. I’ve been painting for around seven years, having found my way back to painting in my early twenties. Over time, painting has become much more than something I simply do — it feels like my purpose. It gives me a feeling like no other, and somehow keeps me sane and not sane at the same time.

My work is abstract, energetic and often nostalgic, drawing on retro colours, dreamy imagery and movement. Depending on how you look at a piece, it can feel chaotic or calming. I want people to experience my work in whatever way feels right to them, rather than giving them a set meaning to follow.

My earlier work was heavily inspired by nature, aerial views and natural landscapes, often using blues and earthy tones. As my life has changed, so has my art. My current work is heavily influenced by music, along with colour, memories, moods and feelings. I often paint from an emotion rather than a specific subject, allowing the work to evolve as I go. Sometimes I begin with a plan, sometimes I don’t. Each painting has a starting point, but it can quickly take on a life of its own.

I work primarily with acrylic paint and embrace the unpredictability of the process, whether I’m painting quickly and instinctively or spending many hours on a piece.

For me, the feeling behind a painting is more important than giving it a literal meaning. There is often more beneath the patterns, colours and movement than what initially meets the eye.

I paint because I need to. I love stepping back from a finished piece, looking at it and seeing things I didnt see before.