Bio.
Simon Stone was born in 1952 in Lady Grey, South Africa. Stone currently lives and works in Cape Town, South Africa. Having graduated from Michaelis School of Fine Art in 1976, Stone later continued his education in Italy. Since 1978, he has exhibited widely, both locally and abroad.
Considered the “poet” of inner-city Johannesburg, Stone was an important influence on, and part of a generation of, painters during the halcyon era of South African art during the eighties and nineties. Stone was the recipient of the New York City Award at the Ampersand Foundation in New York, the USA in 1997. Prior to this, Stone was awarded a Lifetime Merit Award from the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1993. Recently, Stone inspired a documentary, titled Imagining Stone, featuring his work and life, produced by ArtMeetsTV. In 2020, his work was included in SMAC Gallery’s presentation at Investec Cape Town Art Fair, and A Show of Solidarity, a group exhibition at SMAC Gallery, both in Cape Town, South Africa. Stone’s work was included in the Ampersand Foundation Award 21 years celebration exhibition curated by Gordon Froud at the University of Johannesburg Art Gallery in Johannesburg, South Africa as well as SMAC Gallery’s group presentation at FNB Art Joburg at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2019. Stone presented Cogs of Mercy, a solo exhibition at SMAC Gallery in Cape Town. Most recent group shows include Suitcase Show, a collaborative group exhibition with Galleria Massimo Minini at SMAC Gallery in Cape Town in 2019; FNB Joburg Art Fair; Wish You Were Here at SMAC Gallery in Cape Town and the Investec Cape Town Art Fair all in 2018. Stone’s works will be included in SMAC Gallery’s group presentation at Artissima at the OVAL, Lingotto Fiere in Turin Italy later this year. Prior to this, Stone’s solo exhibitions at SMAC Gallery include New Paintings in Johannesburg, 2016; Both Sides of Now in Stellenbosch at the end of 2014; and Thrown Together: Works from 2011 in Cape Town, 2011.