Sophia Vigne Welsh

About

“Play and exploration are central in my approach to making paintings. This is underpinned by a questioning of my instinctual gesture and a material led process. I challenge the limits of mark making and materials to build space and investigate the emotional and physical experience of my environment. I’m influenced by architecture, urban planning, wabi sabi, jazz, hip hop and electronic music as well as my own personal history. I think of painting as a safety net for trying out new ideas. What possibilities can be realised within the inherent constraints of the surface? 

My way of painting is informed by my interests and experiences and of late that consists of the paintings of Richard Tuttle, Laura Owens and Joan Miro; the poem “Bone Dreams” by Seamus Heaney; a recent resolution in the form of a council house to my mum’s housing insecurity; memories of organising raves with friends and the safe embrace of familiar arms.

My studio practice is deeply personal yet also serves as a platform to challenge entrenched hierarchical value systems, achieved through the deconstruction and reconfiguration of elements within the canvas. I employ non-traditional materials and application methods to subvert conventional norms, offering a subtle critique of art history and institutional frameworks. Through rigorous improvisation the surface is activated, kept open and alive through fierce intention.”

“Geezers on E’s and first timers, kids on whizz, darlins on charlie

All come together for this party

All races, so many faces from places you never heard of

Where you from? What’s your name and what you want?

Sing to the words, flex to the fat one

The tribal drums

Sun’s rising, we all smile, we all sing”

Weak Become Heroes The Streets

Sophia Vigne Welsh is an Irish artist currently based in London. Prior to this, she lived and worked in Lisbon and Los Angeles. Sophia earned her BFA from the National College of Art & Design, Dublin in 2016 and is set to graduate from the Royal College of Art in Autumn 2024. She is the recent recipient of the prestigious Clyde Hopkins Award, which provides a studio and mentorship at APT Studios in Deptford, London. Her work has been commissioned by notable brands such as Guinness, Roe & Co. Whiskey and Hen’s Teeth, and her practice is supported by the Irish Arts Council.

Contact:

sophia.vigne@gmail.com

sophiavignewelsh.com