Artist Feature // 5 Questions for Sophia Pauley

Sophia is a UK-based artist that I came across while browsing through the Saatchi art site, and her work immediately grabbed my attention.

Sophia is focusing on the spaces in between the physical forms of the urban landscape, using a bright palette to accentuate flowing shapes. She transfers these experiences into an interactive environment for the viewer, to inspire movement around her work. She works in painting on canvas or wood, screen printing and painted sculptural installations.

Learn more and read my Q&A with Sophia, below!

5 Questions for Sophia Pauley

1) What is your favorite kind of work to do at the moment?

My favourite works have evolved from directly responding to the space in which they are exhibited, and it is this part of my practice which most intrigues me. I try to create arresting images through shape and colour as well as a physical experience by manipulating the way an audience moves around the exhibited work, and changing the original sense of the space. This is quite difficult to do at the moment with exhibitions based online so I am approaching new works in a slightly different way, and using the studio space as a parameter for the paintings.

2) What kinds of things inspire you?

Sense of place and my experience of a particular space has always been an important element, drawing me to the surrounding urban environment. This informs the imagery, colours, perspective and sense of movement within my work; my experience of moving through these spaces has increasingly become a focus. I may find the seed of an idea in the simplest of things. From random daily encounters with physical, tangible objects, such as signage, angular shapes on a building, road works and their shadows; or imagery in books and online sources. I select the most interesting shapes, colours and compositions, and manipulate them.

I have always loved to swim, competitively pre-university and now just for leisure. The shapes, lines and composition of my work have stemmed from architectural environments associated with water, especially swimming pools, lakes and the sea. Now my inspiration has moved on, but creating a sense of flow remains a focus.

3) Who else do you admire in the art space?

An artist who I admire is Tess Jaray. I have only followed a snippet of her career in real time but I admire her work ethic, how she approaches her practice and enjoy following the changes and development within her paintings and prints. I love her exquisite use of colour, geometry and interpretation of space and her relationship with place within her work.