A local from Barwon Heads Sophia has recently returned to her ceramics practice after obtaining both her bachelor, then honour’s Degree in Fine Arts in 2004. Her detailed textured glazes are a standout feature of her work. Sophia continues to revel in the chemistry of creating unique glazes and is inspired by the habitats found in our magical underwater worlds.
‘My recent work is about memory and play, with reverence to the magical kingdoms that exist in and around reefs and rock pools. It is inspired by the sheer beauty and infinite variety of the underwater world.
Endless summers were spent as a child with the beach as our playground, exploring reefs and rock holes, poking blue ringed octopuses and testing our bravery with poisonous anemones. Jumping off the end of the reef and sliding back up with the waves, with the excitement of large swirling tentacles of seaweed and wondering what was lurking beneath. The magnificent range of colours and shapes of seaweed and the joy of finding beautiful little shells freshly washed up onto the beach on early mornings, provided awe and fodder for imagining. These childhood experiences have fostered a love of the sea that continues for me today.
My sculptural vessels are hand built using a pinch and coil technique. Fingers are the main making tools, manifesting the natural plasticity of the clay. The surfaces are enhanced by painting multiple layers of glaze that revel in chemistry and its beautiful possibilities.
I hope that these works have an inherent beauty that speaks for themselves. You cannot do better than nature, but to me it is an endless source of inspiration, and its complexity and fragility is obviously something that needs to be cared for.’
Sophia first featured in ‘Habitat’ 2024, with a sellout of her work. She returned successfully in a joint exhibition, ‘Suffuse’ with Jane Millington, July 2024 and in March 2025 we look forward new work that pushes her boundaries in ‘Germinate’, the annual Group Ceramics Exhibition, Opening on the 8th March.
