Artist Statement

I am a figurative painter who creates large-scale work focused on the female body and sexual violence. My work centers around the humanistic figure and its expected associations within society. I have always been fascinated with pushing the limits of what is appropriate while exploring societal taboos such as nudity, voyeurism, and violence. In confronting viewers with taboo imagery, they are forced to accept their roles as spectators. 

My practice exists primarily through figurative paintings, which, at times, are rendered realistically and, at others, are fragmented, abstracted, or unfinished. By requiring viewers to engage in the act of piecing together the complete image, I aim to provoke deeper contemplation about the societal constructs and implications surrounding the commodification and subordination of women in contemporary society. 

Within my work, I aim to explore the aesthetic nature of the body, society’s fascination with pain, and man’s innate tendency to observe. I aim to confront not only the male gaze but also the perverted mind and cause viewers to question why they find my work attractive, either sexually, aesthetically, or both. 

Biography

Sofia Cristina Smith is a painter creating work centered around the female figure and the associations it has within society. She is currently working towards a BFA in Painting at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and is employed as a Museum Docent at the SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion and Film. She was born in Bermuda to Bermudian and Costa Rican parents. She moved to Brazil as a child, where she spent 5 years before relocating to Switzerland, where she is currently based.