Extraordinary talent for drawing - Oryx

Oryx Magazine - The Artist's Press Archive

Stephen's amazing skill is even more incredible considering that, aged three, he was diagnosed as autistic. Born in London in 1974, he was completely mute as a small child and found it hard to relate to other people. He didn't learn to speak fully until he was nine. At the age of five, it became apparent that he communicated through the language of drawing: first animals, then London buses, and when he was about seven he became fascinated with sketching landmark London buildings.

'I have always loved architecture; it was my language and it helped me to open up and learn to read and write when I was growing up,' he says. Even as a child Stephen's sense of perspective, proportion, and attention to detail were astonishing. After winning several competitions with his work, media interest grew and at seven years old he sold his first piece.

As a teen, his first visit to New York was a career highlight; he was captivated by the city. Visits to Paris, Edinburgh, Venice, Amsterdam, Leningrad, and Moscow quickly followed. After flying over London in a helicopter, Stephen completed a perfectly scaled aerial illustration of a four-sqaure-mile area within three hours; including 12 historic landmarks and 200 other structures.

In 2005, he was commissioned to undertake vast panoramic drawings of a series of world cities, starting with a 10m-long canvas representation of the Tokyo skyline. Two months later he drew a similarly detailed picture of Rome entirely from memory.

'I always see the images in my head,' he says. 'I am surrounded by buildings everywhere I go. It's fantastic. I will never get tired of it.' Stephen subsequently took on commissions from Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dubai, London, New York, and later, Sydney, Shanghai, and Brisbane. The New York panorama was his dream commission. 'The studio I was in was just amazing,' he says. 'There was a skylight looking straight up to the Empire State Building which is my favourite building in New York. My Drawing was six metres long and took me just under six days to complete.' Today Stephen is known around the world. His talent has been recognised with an MBE for services to art; he has his own gallery in the heart of London; and he regularly travels the world on private and public commissions.

'Getting my own gallery where people can see my work up close was a key moment in my career,' he says. 'Also, travelling to countries I used to dream about when I was a little boy; I love travelling, it helps to broaden my mind and give me more ways of putting detail in my work.'

 

Bestseller Prints

The Top 10 Bestseller Prints All time favourite artworks of London, New York and most world cities. Various sizes available framed too. Fast Delivery.

Press Office

Stephen Wiltshire Press Materials Download Stephen's biography, key dates and press brief. Find the artist's answers to some of your interview questions.

Image Library

Stephen's Photo Library Photographs of a Genius in action from the late 1970s to today for press use or illustration purposes.

Artist Studio

Stephen Wiltshire's London Studio Our Private Studio is located in Chelsea Harbour, London, welcoming collectors on an appointment basis.
  • Shopping

    Pay with your credit or debit card, PayPal, Bank Transfer, Apple Pay or Google Pay. We ship worldwide on a daily basis and you can also buy original drawings for collection at our Private London Gallery. Payment Methods

  • Delivery

    We deliver worldwide on a daily basis while your parcel is fully covered by our Lloyds policy throughout its journey. Shipping costs start from £7.99 within UK and £15.99 to anywhere in the world depending dimensions and weight. All parcels are packaged professionally. More on Shipping

  • Commission the Artist

    Stephen continues to take on art commissions for his clientele. Call, message or email us if you have a particular view or city in mind. There may be a waiting list. Commissions

  • Press office

    Information for journalists and publishers about Stephen Wiltshire, including press releases, key dates, biography, his rider, Q&A and publishing rights. Our Archive and Image Library are also available to you. Brief us about the context and direction of your publication or Message Us to schedule an interview. Press Office

  • Returns

    If for any reason you are unhappy with your purchase, let us know within 21 days, and we will offer you a full refund, no questions asked. We replace your items in case your parcel is damaged or lost in transit. Shop with Confidence

  • Who we are

    Stephen Wiltshire Ltd is registered in England and Wales. Our address is 27 Kings's Quay, Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 0UX, United Kingdom. About Us