Steve Murray

Steve Murray was born in Rochdale in 1957. After a career spanning four decades in the NHS (originally training as a nurse at Birch Hill Hospital) he returned to painting in 2016. Steve is self-taught and whilst his earlier works involved figuration, he now explores our local natural environments, including those where humans have left their mark. This allows for reflection on legacy and change; long-term rather than short-termism. With limited interest in scenery depiction, Steve tends towards abstraction, moving between the directly visual and the spirit of place. 

He works from home, which is close to Rochdale town centre, enjoying the benefits of the urban whilst being free to roam up onto the moors and follow the pathways people have walked for centuries. From the centre of town, the Pennines are visible with all their moods: sometimes hidden by cloud or mist, then glorious in the sunshine. Beyond those hills seemed like another world when Steve was a child, both a barrier and an invitation to explore. Steve has taken part in more than a dozen group shows in the UK.