salAbsky cReaTive
About
Steven Salabsky
Steven was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he was adopted as a baby and grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. Growing up, he has always been in tune with his creative side. Expressing himself through art was something that always made sense to him. This expression led him to study dance and painting as an adult. He received a BFA in Fine Art and a minor in Dance from the University of Utah. His love for dancing inspired his appreciation and fascination with the human form and guided him to the artist he is today. Steven is currently building bodies of work with various themes pertaining to the human condition. His current body of work touches on the experience of the black male in American culture.
Boys In Baths
“Boys in Baths” is an ongoing series that seeks to cast the Black male figure in a softer, more vulnerable light. The work began in 2020, at a moment when racial tensions in America reached a boiling point, prompting me to reflect on how deeply rooted bigotry remains in everyday life.
As a Black gay man, I am especially aware of how racism and homophobia shape the experiences of the Black queer community. This awareness led me to invite friends to model for me and share their personal stories, allowing their voices to inform and live within the work.
Through this series, I aim to create space for those voices while also addressing the absence of the Black male figure as a nuanced subject in figurative art. Ultimately, these paintings both confront systems of prejudice and celebrate the beauty, intimacy, and humanity of Black queer men.
