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ARTIST STATEMENT

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My large-format abstract paintings explore the profound interconnectedness of the human body and the natural world. Drawing on the concept of "vibrant matter," a term coined by the theorist Jane Bennett, I assert that all forms, animate and inanimate, possess an inherent force and agency. My canvases become psychographic landscapes where a self-mixed palette of raw pigments and natural materials merge to express the elemental dynamism of the earth. This process imbues the work with a depth and richness that transcends industrially manufactured colors, mirroring the deep sensations and rhythms of the body.

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While my work is conceptually engaged, my studio practice is a tactile and intuitive journey. Like a jazz musician, I approach the canvas with a non-linear, improvisational method to create pieces with an ensouled immediacy. I believe that successful art, much like music, possesses an ability to transcend language and concept, connecting directly with the viewer on a visceral level. The work's meaning is not found in its explanation, but in its ability to generate an immediate, contemplative, and transformative experience.

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My background as a PhD in Literature and Culture deeply informs my practice, allowing me to forge a visual language—a syntax beyond words—that creates a personal poetics. This creative act is one of liberation, dissolving distinctions to reveal a deeper understanding of our shared materiality. I have exhibited in Berlin, Mexico City, and New York City, with works held in private collections across Europe and the United States. Ultimately, my art invites a reimagining of perception, a space for intimate and deeply felt encounters.

BIO

Sophia Frese is a Berlin-based visual artist whose large-format abstract paintings explore the profound interconnectedness of the human body and the natural world. Her practice cultivates "psychographic landscapes" that assert the inherent force and agency of all matter, a concept she explores through a music-inflected, improvisational studio process.

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Holding a Ph.D. in German Literature and American Studies from the Free University of Berlin, Frese forges a visual idiom—a syntax beyond semantic linguistics—to create her personal poetics. She works with a self-mixed palette of raw pigments and natural materials, imbuing her canvases with a tactile and elemental dynamism.

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Frese's work has been exhibited in New York City, Berlin, and Mexico City, and is housed in private collections across Europe and the United States. A 2025 residency at Casa Lu culminated in an exhibition during Mexico City Art Week, further enriching her interrogation of place and identity.

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For works, upcoming shows and prices contact me @

sophiafrese@gmail.com

@fluxmagnetic

© 2025 Sophia Frese

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