Trevor Southey - prints and biography

Trevor Southey (1940–2015) was a British-born painter, printmaker, and sculptor whose art was shaped by his early experiences in Africa and his lifelong search for harmony between tradition, spirituality, and personal truth. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, he grew up surrounded by the vibrancy of African cultures. Though of white British colonial descent, Southey was deeply influenced by the people around him—their languages, movements, and features became central to his visual imagination. From childhood, he sketched Africans and their environments, developing a sensitivity to the dignity, variety, and beauty of the human form. This grounding in Africa formed the spiritual fiber of his later work, which often reflected a sense of universal humanity.

Southey emigrated to the United States in 1965, settling in Utah, where he became a central figure in the state’s artistic community. His classical training and interest in Renaissance ideals gave his art a timeless quality, and he became known for figural works that emphasized clarity, balance, and symbolic resonance. Themes of family and belonging ran through his art, reflecting both his longing for traditional structures and his vision of a broader, more inclusive family. He imagined a community that could embrace both the familiar and the unconventional, where love, civility, and tolerance replaced rigid adherence to societal norms.

His journey as a gay man was another defining element of his life and art. For years, this aspect of his identity remained unspoken, yet it emerged powerfully through his creative output. Paintings such as Prodigal—inspired by the biblical parable—carried an undercurrent of sensuality and reconciliation that revealed truths he had not yet voiced. Over time, his work became a celebration of self-acceptance, a visual chronicle of his integration of faith, identity, and creativity. This was not without tension; early works balanced on the edge of innocence and hidden desire, while later pieces embraced openness and a renewed sense of home.

Trevor Southey’s contributions extend beyond individual works: he helped foster a climate of cultural enrichment in Utah and beyond. His art is included in museums and collections internationally, admired for its blend of technical mastery, emotional depth, and universal themes. Southey’s legacy lies in his ability to merge African roots, classical ideals, and personal truth into a body of work that continues to inspire reflection on beauty, tolerance, and the human condition.