Sophie van Walraven
Paintings
Meet the Artist
The work is joyful and humorous. Sophie’s childhood was difficult, and she does not feel compelled to emphasize the ugliness of existence once again through her art. Rather than focusing on the “what,” Walraven explores the “how.” For her, the true interest lies in the way she paints — finding and following her own authentic voice is her ultimate goal.
She rejects trends and fleeting current affairs, instead searching for timelessness and the possibility of remaining relevant across all eras. The method of painting becomes the form, and the form itself becomes the content.
Each work is part of a larger whole in which the search for individuality and a personal signature takes center stage. One piece cannot exist without the others. Yet every work by Walraven can also stand entirely on its own: while each painting forms a clear link within the series, every piece also exists independently.
What if....
I paint because I’m curious. It starts with the question ‘What if…?’ What if I draw this. What if I paint that with only two colors, what if I stop halfway, what if.
I paint a lot from real life straight on the canvas, sometimes I sketch first and use that for the painting. I never use a projector, the lines have to be dynamic and personal. It happens sometimes that the sketch is better than the painting. My sketches and line drawings are a league of their own.
Sophie over the years
At art academy, my graduation exhibition was very contemporary and all about concept, it contained film, installations and a street art animation. I learnt how to observe and think about my work, and how to develop my style and find my voice. I was taught how to deeply study concept and image. Some years after art school, I switched from spatial work to paper and canvas. No more film and installations but still a lot of street art. It was easy to find my own language on canvas and because no teachers had taught me how to paint or draw, I was completely free in my new medium. I’m in it for the freedom.
"Take your work seriously. Not yourself, but your work."
Sophie van Walraven