Interview with Sophia Vigne Welsh: “We’re bombarded by a constant flow of information and inspiration, and painting gives me the space to figure out which bits matter to me.”
Sophia Vigne Welsh, an Irish visual artist, chats to us to talk about the inspirations that drives her art, how she works and the impact of living and working in different places in the world.
Tell us about yourself!
I’m a visual artist who makes abstract paintings with elements of collage and drawing to try and make sense of life. Last October 2021, I moved to Lisbon and since this move I’ve been in the incredibly privileged position of being able to paint full time, something that seemed out of reach for a long time. I’ve been painting since I left college in 2016 and in the last couple of years have also begun working on large scale murals.
Tell me about your art!
I make work to explore bodily tension in various environments and relationships both from a first person pov and through observing others behaviours and what’s happening politically and in pop culture. I’d like to think that you can see both the high and low brow content that I consume come through in my paintings.
What is your art process like?
My process is pretty simple really; show up and make the work! Usually I’m working on 3 – 4 canvases at once and some works on paper. I make a lot of tiny shape drawings in my notebooks which I’ll go back to and reference when working on the larger pieces but I never have a set plan for a painting nor do I try to replicate these sketches. I tried working this way when I started to paint but over the years have found this more intuitive approach to be much more enjoyable and to yield better results. I’m happiest and most myself when painting and I think this comes through in the work but also hope that when the viewer looks a bit deeper they can see the tension that I’m trying to communicate. In the last 2 years or so I feel like I’ve created a discernible visual language through which I can express myself honestly and accurately.
Before moving to the medium of paint and drawing you worked with photography, can you tell me a bit about the transition?
I began painting in my final year in NCAD where I studied Fine Art Media with a particular interest in socially engaged work. For my final project I took on a pretty intense workload of conducting workshops and photographing students in various Youthreach centres with the aim of destigmatising alternative education paths. Initially painting was something fun to do to blow off some steam but quickly I realised that this was what I really wanted to be spending my time doing. When I graduated I moved to L.A. for the year and decided to see where painting would bring me. For a long time I felt like this was a really selfish decision but it’s one I’m very happy I made.
Do you have any inspirations (artists or beyond) that influence your style of art?
My inspiration really comes from the process of painting itself; making mistakes, experimenting and exploring with the hope of creating something that satisfies my mind and eye. We’re bombarded by a constant flow of information and inspiration and painting gives me the space to figure out which bits matter to me. At the moment my favourite painters are Helen Frankenthaler and Matt Connors, their use of colour and both loose and structured forms are next level and inspire me to be a better painter. If I’m feeling really lacking in creative energy there’s an episode of Broken Record with Rick Rubin and Pharrell that I go back to and it gets me fired up to get back to work.
You have lived and worked in Ireland, Spain, L.A, and are currently living and working in Lisbon. In what way does your location and environment have an impact on your work?
I think what has the biggest impact is the time that your location and environment allow. Living in a small town in Ireland during the first covid lockdown I made the most paintings in a small amount of time that I ever have. I was in my bedroom and out in the garden painting everyday and looking back I can see that the quick progression I made was really significant. I don’t want to make light of the horrendous situation that covid was but that time really allowed me to find my voice as an artist. After that I was back to working in the service industry and painting in the evenings and on days off. I managed to keep my practice ticking over but it was exhausting and it came to a point where I had burnt myself out creatively and emotionally. Now living in Lisbon I have both the time and space to make work but have to be strict with myself and not get distracted by the social side of the city. One day I hope I can move back to Wicklow and afford to paint full time from there.
You use your art to express and explore different emotions. Are your paintings and drawings created in hindsight of your thoughts and feelings, or do you use the medium of abstract painting and drawing to process your emotions as you experience them?
A bit of both really. Being alone in the studio gives me a lot of time to think and the physicality and concentration that painting takes gives me space to decipher my feelings. I would say it’s all a constant cycle.
I see you paint murals too! How does that differ from working in a studio, does it require more planning and collaboration with a client or team?
Yeah it absolutely takes much more prep and planning than when I’m painting in the studio and often there’s a collaborative effort between myself and the client. Generally I’ll spend some time coming up with the initial sketches and colour palette and then there’ll be some back and forth until we’re both happy with the result. The last year or so I’ve been feeling much more confident with this process and thoroughly enjoy it. It’s great to get out of the studio and I’m very lucky that any of the clients I’ve worked with have been lovely. Finishing a big wall after a long day of painting outside is a real buzz.
Is there anything that you’re working on that you’d like to tell us about or that we should keep an eye out for?
Recently, I had two paintings included in Herman’s Modern & Contemporary Art auction which was very exciting! To see my work alongside the other artist’s on display has made me realise how far I’ve come in the last few years and makes me feel pretty proud. In Lisbon I’ve been working on a collaborative art and food experience with a group of friends which will launch next week. Lastly I’m going to LA at the end of October for a few weeks after four years away and I can’t wait to see my favourite city again. There’s so many things wrong with the place but there’s something in the air that will always have me going back.
To contact or learn more about Sophia Vigne Welsh’s work follow her on social media and check her website:
website: Sophia Vigne Welsh
Instagram: @sophia_vigne_welsh
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