Sophie Rees
Degree: Univerisity of Brighton
University: University of Brighton
Graduation Year: 2008
New Blood Art Statement
The vibrant patterns found in the natural world have inspired great and artistic minds for centuries; think of that pilfering thrush with the sweet-beak in William Morris’ ‘Strawberry Thief,’ or those endless optical illusions by Yayoi Kusama. Brighton graduate, Sophie Rees explores the patterns found in nature and recreates and re-composes with an acutely abstract eye and lustrous palette - boasting glossy pinks, electric blues, and bioluminescent greens...
Rees’ canvases deliver a beautiful new take on the patterns that manifest around us every day. Her work is charming, refreshing, and original.
Artist Statement
Central to my work is a deliberate unsettling of our perception of pictorial space.
The abstract values within the works relate to a history of art, which is about constantly coming up with visual metaphors for experience, much more than it is about narrating experience.
Within the works, colour, shape and reflection all conspire to create a sense of a non-place. The illusion of a continuous horizon line or arc of a plane of colour is created through the effects of lighting and arrangement, cropping or inverting the images, in order to create enigmatic documents of reality.
Within my paintings are natural and architectural forms and pattern: pattern obscuring, decorating, repeating, accidental and expressively: pattern as pattern and pattern as content. Some are given a framework; others step out across the space.
Solo Exhibitions
2019, North Bristol Artists, Studio, Bristol, UK
2017, Bristol Art Trail, Studio, Bristol, UK
2015, Double Rainbow, Color Elefante, Valencia, Spain
2011, Monumental Shapes, Camden Collective, London, UK
Group Exhibitions
2014, A Dream Within a Dream, Pluspace, Coventry, UK
2013, Many Headed Hydra, Departure Gallery, London, UK
2013, Oriel YJB, Oriel YJB, Llandudno, Wales
2010, Rhizomatic, Departure Gallery, London, UK
2010, Things to Come, Stour Space, London, UK
2010, East Wing 9, ‘The Art of Display', Somerset House, London, UK
2009, Guest Projects, Yinka Shonibare’s Space, London, UK
2009, The Great Purpose, Arts Pavilion, Mile End, London,UK
2008, B.A hon’s fine art painting degree show, University of Brighton, UK
Competitions, Prizes & Awards
2009, MK Painting Prize
2009, Artist Scholarship, National Eisteddfod, Wales, finalist
2009, Artist of the year, Sir Leslie Joseph award, Glynn Vivian Gallery, finalist
2008, Artist Scholarship, National Eisteddfod, Wales, finalist
2008, Aidan Threlfall Travel award (Chebut Valley, Argentina)