Sophia Loeb’s painting materialises sensation, be it internal – one’s thoughts and feelings, for example – or external – the perception of other life and environments. Informed by her early childhood in Brazil, at the core of her practice is a meditative study of the natural order and the interconnectedness of all universal systems. Landscapes reminiscent of those encountered in her native country emerge from, and recede into, a forest of marks. Lending itself to an experiential response, her painting seeks to forge a deeper connection between people, their fleeting thoughts and emotions, and the increasingly fragile environment they inhabit.
Taking a sculptural approach painting, Loeb works both horizontally and vertically, constantly turning the canvas as though recording her own bodily movement in the process. Her resultant compositions evoke streams and pools of colour through layered gestural brushstrokes. Making use of unconventional tools, as well as applying loose pigment and oil stick with her hands, her painting is driven by instinct. Layers are built up then scraped, reworked and reapplied to produce a dense, tactile surface. Between frenetic gesture and compositional restraint, Loeb’s practice embraces the freedom of organic movement alongside the measured awareness of feeling and contemplation.