Steven E. “Savvye” Savage is a largely self-taught Neo-abstract expressionist painter whose works express tremendous emotional depth, extreme tactility and vibrant and broad use of color. Raised in Gary, Indiana, with a single mother, Savvye was driven to overcome the challenges of his tough environment. After high school, he served honorably in the United States Marine Corps for eight years, earning several commendations. After sustaining a disability during his service, he pursued higher education.

Savvye holds a BBA from UA Little Rock, an MBA from Columbia University, and a JD from Cornell University. Ultimately, he practiced major criminal defense as an attorney, a specialty he held for several years. His life took a pivot when he received a diagnosis of Autism and ADHD, prompting a shift from law to a less emotionally taxing vocation. Since November 2023, he has devoted himself entirely to painting.

His artistic journey has been influenced by trauma from his upbringing in an evangelical, low-income household and from the abuse and neglect he endured as a child, as well as the mostly positive experiences he had during his service to Corps and country, and having assisted several master photographers and other artists in the 1980s.

His creative process is spontaneous and inspired by unexpected stimuli, allowing him the freedom to pursue muse-driven brushstrokes. Savvye paints daily, working with acrylics, watercolors, pastels, pen-and-ink, and mixed media.

Savvye’s inspirations come from artists like Pollock, Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, Krasner, Frankenthaler, Kahlo, Hart Benton, Bearden, and Jacob Lawrence. Their challenges to conventional perspectives inspire his own exploration of self and unexpected meanings in his art, forming his distinctive style.

Characterized by imaginative colors and intricate textures, his paintings feature vibrant hues blended directly onto the canvas, predominantly in acrylic and gel mediums, but sometimes incorporating oil pastels and watercolors. Savvye’s tactile approach employs silicone tools and palette knives to create textures that immerse viewers in a vivid world of color and emotion. Recently, Savvye’s experimentation has taken him to working in oils with acrylic underpainting. “Anything that shows my passion and depth is fair game,” he says.

As a disabled Marine, autistic individual, and Black man hailing from the urban environments of the 1970s and ’80s, these facets deeply inform his work. Through his art, he conveys disillusionment with societal inequities and the harsh direction of modern America, honoring those who strive toward a brighter future.

Now living in Greater Dallas-Fort Worth, Savvye draws inspiration from the beauty of life and the ugliness of societal issues. Dedicated to authenticity, he channels his passion and his rage into his art, crafting narratives that often spark discussions about the human condition.

Savvye invites audiences to explore life, emotion, and existence through his paintings, emphasizing that there is no incorrect way to interpret his paintings. “I often learn more about their implied meanings from my viewers,” he remarks, embracing their interpretations as an essential aspect of his artistic journey.