Sophie Sachs

After completing her Masters of Architecture at the University of Queensland Sophie worked as a lead designer with Urban Art Projects in public art for 5 years. Sophie now works as a full- time artist in her home studio in Brisbane. Winner of NEAP painting prize 2022. Winner of Saint Cloche wall works award, Little Things Art Prize, 2021

“Still Light” is an exploration into capturing the evanescent quality of light through the use of ordinary objects, predominantly glassware, arranged in considered compositions. These compositions always feature direct sunlight, as the shadows play an equally important role in the arrangement as the objects themselves. These works reference the still life genre through the use of familiar and commonplace objects. However, the focus of my works is in capturing the optical effects of light and conveying the fleeting nature of the present moment. Each painting is developed and experienced in two stages: there is the overall sense of light and colour, which can be perceived at a glance, then there is the detail that is experienced at a much more intimate scale. My paintings do not seek to be extremely realistic. Rather, I selectively highlight details that inspire and interest me, while allowing other elements to become more stylised and retain a painterly quality.” – Sophie Sachs