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Having obtained a Diploma in Graphic Design from Kuala Lumpur College of Art in 1993, Stephen Menon started his career as a fine artist combining portraiture and spiritualism in a search for meaning. Stephen creates self-portraits that are personal depictions of the state of his inner self.

Stephen has taken part in numerous group exhibitions including the ‘Open Show’ at Galeri Shah Alam (2006 and 2007), ‘Malaysian Art Award’ in Penang (2007), ‘Beautiful People’ at Core Design Gallery (2010), ‘Asean Art Show’ in Tokyo, Japan (2010), ‘Winds of Desire’ at Annexe Gallery (2010) as well as ‘Absolut 18@8’ at Wei-Ling Gallery (2010). He won the 2006 Major Award from the Galeri Shah Alam Open Show and was a finalist in the Young Contemporary Art Award held by National Art Gallery Malaysia in 2006 and 2007.

A study for one of Stephen’s pieces entitled JokerMao as Tok Dalang (2010) from his first solo ‘Me and Mao’, it exhibits a great deal of finesse and demonstrates his ability for producing engaging artworks. Me and Mao is a series of works inspired by posters produced during the early part of the Cultural Revolution (1966 - 1968) in China. In this study, a portrait of Mao Tse Tung is floating in the background in reds and purples executed in Stephen’s trademark watercolour style with drips and is surrounded by silkscreens of characters in the form of masks. The visages are grotesque and fearsome, possibly to communicate the air of fear as well as in representation of the atrocities committed under Mao’s rule. Mao is the man behind the scenes with ultimate control over everyone around him. Here, Stephen illustrates that in all political playgrounds, there is always one person who has ultimate authority - one who has the ability to persuade and command the people around him to commit the most hideous crimes but is able to get away scot free every time. Study for Me & Mao is an expressive and particularly polished piece, demonstrating Stephen’s potential and technical ability.