Steve Leadbeater: Between Chaos and Beauty

In a small Melbourne studio, music hums softly and incense drifts through the air. Scraps of paper cover the floor. Each mark feels alive. This is where artist Steve Leadbeater finds his rhythm.

“When I’m in the flow of making work, I’m not thinking,” he says. “It just comes out that way. I like it to have a crudeness that invites people in.”

Process and Ritual

Leadbeater’s process is built on instinct. He lights incense, brews tea, and moves to the sound of music. “If you can feel gestures being made, even drips coming down, then the work comes alive,” he says. He works at the edge of control and chaos. “Things can get exciting, or they can be a disaster. I like being in that space.”

Emotion and Duality

His work often splits opinion. “Some see it as naive or childish,” he says. “But then they feel the emotion, like in children’s drawings, raw and direct.”
He doesn’t want to explain his own story. “The deepest stuff is what everyone can respond to. That’s why I don’t name my work. I want people to find their own meaning.”

Contrast, Noise, and Play

Contrast defines his art: black and white, brutality and sensitivity, form and spirit. “Some people focus on what feels dark, others see beauty and light. It’s the same piece.”
In a world flooded with images, he sees painting as reflection and reset. “Everywhere we look, images are thrown at us. That can drown your own voice.”
He also keeps it playful, painting on street signs, junk mail, and fridge magnets. “They already have their own life. It keeps things surprising. Resourceful. Joyful.”

Philosophy and Advice

Even after decades of making art, he still calls himself emerging. “People think being around a long time means success. For me, I’m just beginning.”
His advice is simple: “Momentum is everything. If you create sporadically and second-guess yourself, it’s hard to find your voice. Keep going. Do what you love.”
He believes art should stay open. “If people could figure it out, it would be locked up and shelved. Art keeps changing. It’s a chance to experience, to escape, to explore.”

Final Thoughts

Leadbeater believes creativity belongs to everyone. “We were all artists as kids. Art helps you reconnect with that person. Lose that child, and you lose you.”
His work invites you into that space between chaos and beauty, to find both fragility and strength in yourself.

Learn more about Steve Leadbeater and other artists at Seminal Artist Group.