Sophia Pauley graduated with 1st Class BA(Hons) in Painting from ECA 2018.
The shapes, lines and composition of Sophia’s work stem from environments that are closely associated with water, especially swimming pools, lakes and the sea. Her work was inspired initially by her dedication to and love of swimming and water sports (competitively for 13 years and more recently for fitness and enjoyment). Sophia continues to visit watery vistas to further inspire her artwork, which has evolved considerably, from direct visual representations, to abstract forms. She looks in particular at the architecture surrounding these watery spaces, as well as the imagery created from the moving water and reflections. Sophia uses photography and drawing as a process to carefully extract the most interesting shapes, lines and tones into forms that she can translate into cohesive abstracts. Her finished work uses the media of painting on canvas or wood, screen printing and painted sculptural installations.
A bright colour palette accentuates the climactic perspective, the light and shadows of different environments. Examples are the extraordinary backdrop of Kantrida Swimming Pools in Rijeka and the colours and architecture of coastal Durban. Currently, Sophia is focussing on the beauty of the natural and urban environment on her doorstep, responding to it to create work that enhances a specific place and space. The conversation between different media and imagery within her drawing and making has initiated a more three dimensional approach. Sophia aims to transfer these experiences into an interactive environment for the viewer, initiating movement around the exhibited work. She still wants the simplicity and beauty of the paint to be recognised and has paid particular attention to the quality and precision of the painted surface. This has enabled her to create complex three dimensional work with a dramatic resonating impact on the viewer.
