Emotion by Association: A SØFI Studios Art Exhibition
Curational rationale
Deeply feeling into emotion is difficult for most; as we have been taught by logical strategists to be the most (Western) successful versions of ourselves. We run, we fly and barely take a moment to feel into ourselves and our emotional needs. What game is playing underneath the rush of our everyday life? Do you really know what behavior stems from free will or what behavior comes from coping mechanisms of an overlooked emotional system?
We invite you for a journey of self exploration, through the eyes of artists that explore their emotional own development through artistic expression. It is a dialogue between their deeper senses and your ability to reflect as a response to it.
Self-exploration can take many forms. Within artistry, it means an exploration of oneself through an introspective lens. How can you learn from someone else’s journey? By nature of associating yourself to their emotional process; and reflecting as a pathway to dive into your own emotional realm; by letting go of control and surrendering to the emotional depth that art can lead you on.
We invite you to associate yourself with the artists’ varied forms of self-exploration and expansion, believing this sense of continuous growth and emotional resonance binds us together. SOFI stands for beauty and wisdom- and within this exhibition we aim to empower the wisdom of the emotional body through the lens of artists that are exemplary of undertaking this path.
Spotlight on the Artists:
The exhibition features a diverse range of artists, each with their own unique approach to self-exploration and emotional expression. From abstract paintings that evoke elusive feelings to fashion and textile designs that empower femininity and promote love, the works on display offer a multifaceted exploration of the human experience.
Anna Reymond
Anna is a Swiss photographer/ graphic designer based in Amsterdam. Through photographs, interviews and staging, she crosses identities and characters inspired by the fantastic genre to address narratives on our intimacy.
Maria De Cobo Leon
Maria De Cobo Leon is a brilliant young Spanish artist whose works are a heartfelt expressionist exploration of herself. Having completed her studies in psychology and neurochemistry, she has taken her artistic practice to new heights. Her relatable pieces, which delve into themes of self-discovery and introspection, have already gained recognition through exhibitions in the Netherlands and Madrid earlier this year.
Fernande Bloemen
Fernande Bloemen's multidisciplinary practice spans installations, performances, and large-scale drawings. As a Fine Arts and Sustainable Finance student, her work challenges notions of rationality and invites viewers to engage in self-reflection. Bloemen creates immersive environments that transport viewers to a vulnerable, in-between world where texture and image converge. Her organic, ink-based drawings on rice paper allow nature to guide the creative process, resulting in thought-provoking pieces that question our relationship with the natural world.
Saeed Zamzam
Syrian artist and interior designer Saeed Zamzam has a passion for conveying meaningful messages through his art. After completing his studies at the University of Aleppo and teaching art history at Yarmouk University, he has focused on using art as a means to explore societal issues and provide therapy through line, color, and visual representation. His interdisciplinary approach, spanning various mediums, aims to solve psychological problems and communicate without words, reflecting his belief that images can convey meaning more powerfully than language.
Suzan Beynon
Suzan Beynon is a textile artist from Amsterdam whose embroidered works of art are inspired by diverse artistic genres, including nature, art, interior design, and photography. With a lifelong interest in design and creativity, Beynon transitioned to full-time artistic practice in 2023 after a career in the magazine and book profession. Her unique, handmade pieces are created without a pre-set plan, allowing the creative process to unfold organically. Each work is meticulously embroidered and professionally framed, offering viewers the opportunity to experience her captivating, one-of-a-kind pieces from multiple perspectives.
Yael Wassen
Yael Wassen, a visual artist based in Amsterdam, discovered a new means of communication through painting, using colors and shapes to create space for elusive feelings and thoughts without definitive explanations. With a background in political philosophy, her abstract and simple artworks carry specific meanings while inviting viewers to interpret them in their own way. Wassen experiments with various mediums, including acrylic paintings, large fabrics combined with oil pastels, and immersive installations, aiming to transform sensitivity and vulnerability into strengths that the world needs more of.
Lili Jullian
Lili Jullian is a fashion and teddy designer based in Rotterdam whose creations are filled with witchy, seductive energies. After living and working in various European cities and Indonesia, she returned to the Netherlands to create genderless garments and queer teddies that empower femininity, promote love and equal rights, and encourage conscious living. Jullian's modular clothing line fits a range of sizes, accommodating body shape changes, while her teddies are made from the waste created by her garment collection, making both brands a zero-waste company.