The Dog Did It! Stephen Morrison’s Trompe-l’œils Brim with Canine Character

To say that Stephen Morrison’s work is inspired by dogs would be an understatement. Through sculptural assemblages and paintings of puppy faces tucked in foliage or morphing from household items, Morrison evokes the timeless love for our pets.

“I think I’ve always been a bit of a hedonist and kind of set up to love the life of a dog, of doing whatever you want when you want to do it,” Morrison recently told Hyperallergic in an interview. “That’s why making work with dogs feels so natural because it’s deeply a part of my character.”

a trompe-l'oeil painting of a broken houseplant—the pot with a dog's face on it—on a painting's stretcher bars — “Every Direction at Once” (2025), oil on panel, 20 x 16 inches

Morrison also draws inspiration from his beloved pit bull mix, Tilly, who was the ring bearer at his wedding and died three years ago. Her curious visage lives on in the artist’s idiosyncratic compositions, bringing expressive life to everything from birdhouses to table lamps.

In the artist’s forthcoming solo exhibition at Hashimoto Contemporary, Morrison continues to channel canine personalities in Dog Show #4: House Broken.

Trompe-l’œil paintings portray the supports on the backs of canvases, teeming with botanicals, stuffed animals, magazine clippings, and fruit. Likewise, a series of sculptures made from epoxy clay, resin, paper, and oil paint appear like assemblages of seemingly disparate items.

In “Clump Spirit #5 (Study),” for example, a puppy’s face emerges from the front of a violin hanging from a hook, and “Clump Spirit #1 (Living Room)” displays a happy dog on a TV screen, stacked high with other objects that also feature distinctive eyes and snouts. Everything appears in a state of joyful yet barely contained disarray.

a clay, paper, and resin sculpture of a retro television with a dog's face on it, stacked with numerous other objects like a tissue box, container of milk, and more — “Clump Spirit #1 (Living Room)” (2024), television, silicone, textile, resin, and epoxy clay, 12 x 21 x 12 inches

“This show reflects on the chaotic messiness of home life, inspired by the lively and dysfunctional environment I grew up in,” Morrison says. “Our house was filled with dancing, yelling, slapdash crafting, and a constant swirl of half-finished projects. Amid all the noise, there was an odd harmony—moments where the chaos seemed to hum along just right, as if disorder itself had a rhythm.”

Dog Show #4: House Broken runs from January 18 to February 8 in New York City. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

a trompe-l'oeil painting of numerous light construction tools with dogs' faces on them, arranged around the stretcher bars of a painting canvas — “Build a Little Birdhouse in Your Soul” (2024), oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches

a clay, paper, and resin sculpture of a violin with a dog's face on the front, hanging from a hook with a plant and some written music — “Clump Spirit #4 (Study)” (2025), epoxy clay, paper, resin, and oil paint, 26 x 10 x 5 1/2 inches

a hyperrealistic painting of numerous stuffed animals circling the stretcher bars of a painting canvas — “The Council of Plastic Limbs” (2025), oil on panel, 24 x 36 inches

a clay, paper, and resin sculpture of a yellow desk lamp with a dog's face and numerous other objects stuck to it — “Clump Spirit #3 (Bedroom)” (2025), epoxy clay and oil paint, 15 x 8 x 7 inches

a trompe-l'oeil painting of a plant with a plastic bag stuck in the center, with a dog's face on the bag, arranged around the stretcher bars of a painting canvas — “Thank You for Your Business” (2025), oil on panel, 48 x 36 inches

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