Some artworks mark a turning point in your creative journey. For me, my Stevie Wonder pop art painting is one of those pieces.
Although the original painting sold in London back in 2021, this artwork continues to live on as one of the most vibrant paintings in my collection, through canvas prints and a range of wearable art in my shop – and it remains one of my personal favourites from my collection. Not just because of who it represents, but because of what it represents in my own journey as an artist.
In this post, I want to share the story behind the painting, the inspiration that shaped it, and why it still plays such an important role in my work today.
This painting was created back in 2019, when I was living in Singapore and still finding my artistic voice. It was one of the first five paintings in my pop art collection – a period when I was experimenting, learning, and figuring out what I wanted my work to stand for.
At that point, I made a conscious decision: I wanted my art to feel joyful, bold, colourful, and uplifting.
Stevie Wonder felt like the perfect subject for that vision. His music has always carried an unmistakable sense of warmth, soul, optimism, and emotional depth – qualities I strive to translate visually in my paintings. When the original piece sold, it became a milestone moment for me. It was the first artwork I sold that I had truly grown attached to on my own wall.
Letting it go was bittersweet – but also incredibly affirming.
Watch my video discussing this painting below.
The colour palette for this piece is directly inspired by Stevie Wonder’s Original Musiquarium album artwork – one of my all-time favourite album covers.
If you’ve seen it, you’ll know exactly what I mean – it features tropical fish swimming across musical staves, bursting with turquoise, orange, pink, and vibrant blues. I wanted to translate that visual rhythm into paint.
This led to a layered acrylic approach using my signature Jackson Pollock-inspired action painting technique, building colour on top of colour, balancing bright tones against one another, and allowing each shade to hold its own space. The black background plays a crucial role here – it allows the colours to pop, echoing the way Stevie’s music bursts with clarity, emotion and vibrancy.
The result is a painting that feels alive, musical, and energetic – capturing a sense of movement within the piece.
One of the defining features of this piece came right at the very end. After peeling away the tape and thinking the painting was finished, I decided to add paint drips flowing down the canvas. It was a risky final step – one wrong move could have undone hours of work!
Those drips add a further sense of movement, rhythm, and flow, much like music itself. They create energy and looseness, breaking the structure just enough to give the painting life beyond the frame.
That technique later became something I carried into other works in my collection, but it all started here – with Stevie Wonder.
Even today, this piece continues to get a great response whenever it’s displayed at exhibitions – whether as a canvas print or featured on t-shirts and sweatshirts.
The strong contrast between the dark background and vibrant colours translates beautifully across different formats. On clothing especially, the design feels bold, expressive, and wearable – a true blend of art, music, and street-ready style.
And of course, Stevie Wonder himself is one of the most influential and iconic musicians of the 20th century. Capturing him in this way felt like a natural and exciting addition to my growing collection of pop art portraits.
While the original painting has found its home, you can still own a piece of this artwork through:
High-quality canvas prints in a range of sizes, and T-shirts and sweatshirts featuring the design
If you’re a fan of music-inspired art, bold colour, or iconic musicians, this piece was made with you in mind.
Thanks for reading, and as always, I’d love to hear what you think. You can explore the Stevie Wonder artwork and more in my online shop – and don’t forget to follow along for more behind-the-scenes insights into my art journey and creative process.
My full range of Jackson Pollock-inspired acrylic paintings can be viewed at www.bykerwin.com – the originals and prints of these are available to purchase, with worldwide delivery. You can follow my art progress on Instagram and Facebook.
