Stuart Sims was born in St Helens, UK, and emigrated to New Zealand in 1997, where he took up a teaching position in Art and Photography. Prior to this, he worked as a draftsman in the oil and gas industry in the Sultanate of Oman. This experience marked the beginning of his artistic journey, leading to detailed pencil drawings and photography that captured the people and places of the region. His work was later featured in The Book of Oman, published by Stacey International.
While living in New Zealand until October 2023, Stuart began to develop his distinctive oil painting style, having previously worked in acrylics and watercolour. He was particularly drawn to oils for their slow drying time, which allowed for greater flexibility and reworking. A chance discovery of the book Hyperrealism, featuring works from the 1970s American movement, had a lasting impact — inspiring him to emulate this detailed, lifelike style in his own practice.
Now based near Caloundra on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Stuart left teaching in 2009 to return to his drafting career in the electrical power industry, before retiring in 2021 to paint full time. Still life remains his chosen focus, driven by a fascination with form and simplicity in everyday objects. His subjects range from torn Snickers wrappers to Liquorice Allsorts and nostalgic vintage toys, capturing the overlooked and the ordinary with striking clarity.
His work is held in private collections across the UK, Sultanate of Oman, New Zealand, and Canada.
