My work focuses on the life of children in conflict-ridden societies.  Growing up in Belfast during the 1980s I experienced daily acts of violence.  Most of the works that I create are reflections of my past, but the emotions portrayed, while being very personal, are not only specific to me.  I want to show in my work how children are particularly affected by growing up in the midst of violence and destruction.  People who look at my work are encouraged to attribute their own memories and emotions to individual pieces.  My aim is to create a reaction and dialogue in and between observers. 

Stephen Dillon's impressive collection of charcoal drawings and clay figures […] is dark, arresting work but clearly sympathetic to his subjects. (“Art showcase for student talent”, BBC News, 2 June 2005, at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4599265.stm)