Sophia Boren is an artist based in the Triangle of North Carolina. Through her travels and living in many places across the United States, she has developed an eclectic unique style. You may find influence of mountains, beach and meadow, and city streets and skyscrapers, all places she has spent a lot of time. A lover of exploration and evolution, Sophia still finds a lot of artistic value in comfort, “there is a lot of exploration to be had within those bounds too,” she says. Her colorful and earthy collages take the viewer to specific moments, like a resting place in nature, or a moment of emotion. You will see both stillness and movement in her pieces.

Inspired by science, Sophia likes to come at things from a curious perspective, ‘what is art?’ This allows her to come up with fresh ideas, and to not feel the limitation that a traditional art education bestows. “The people who really inspire me are rule breakers, people who come with a totally new perspective, not based on the old stuff, just really asking themselves, ‘what is art?’ and starting from there. People like Picasso, making collages on cardboard, both atrocities at the time. I find it so joyful, lighthearted and playful to be able to make collages, making something new from something old. I even find it funny sometimes. Its wild to make an image that is now valuable with what was considered trash. If you know me, you know I have a huge passion for the earth and living in reciprocity with nature, so collage really fits me.”

You may remember Sophia’s color studies with paint or an online gallery experience where she showcased art with music online, maybe you attended one of her many collabs with Madewell or a class, but in 2020 after Irish twins, Sophia gave up making art for a while to focus on her family. After a series of failed attempts at painting with babies in tow, Sophia sheds some light on what led her to collage, “one day I had this creative energy just itching up inside me and it came to me ‘COLLAGE’. It felt playful, manageable, it gave me life which was the whole point.” For Sophia, Art has always been about getting energy flowing, which is what her abstract contemporary color studies were all about.

“Claude Monet (and all the impressionists really) inspires me with his ethereal images, fleeting moments, and scattered feel. I just love it all and I think you can see this influence in my collages of Moments of Fleeting Emotion.”

Sophia Boren has chosen not to release a photo of herself, but rather wants to share with you this moving sculpture by Richard Serra, her favorite artist.