Sophie Rowley, a German and New Zealand artist with a MA from Central Saint Martins London, lives and works in Berlin. With a background in textiles her work embraces the experimentation with techniques in fibre. Central to her approach are methods of deconstruction, wherein she challenges the inherent structural norms and tangible aspects of canvas, redefining its role as a mere substrate to the very essence of the artwork itself. Her self-developed techniques entail a meticulous repetition, unfolding across days, weeks, and months, and resulting in intricate, corporeal paintings.
She disrupts conventional perceptions surrounding the predetermined gender associations attributed to mediums and materials. Embracing a feminist ethos, she celebrates the utilisation of traditionally female mediums that are historically rooted in domesticity. Her practice questions entrenched biases, inviting a reevaluation of societal constructs that dictate artistic expression along gendered lines.
Rowley’s work has been exhibited internationally, including at Make Hauser & Wirth Somerset; the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) in Arizona, USA; Looiersgracht 60 in Amsterdam, Netherlands; Roche Court’s New Art Centre in Salisbury, UK; Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge, UK; the Design Museum Gent in Belgium; and the Isamu Noguchi Stone Heaven in Tokyo, Japan. In 2019, she was a finalist in the LOEWE Foundation’s Craft Prize, an internationally distinguished award for contemporary makers.
Rowley’s works are represented in the collections of the V&A, London; the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA); the Design Museum Gent; and the Georgetown University Art Galleries.
Next on her itinerary is an artist residency at Thread in Sinthian/Senegal with the Josef and Annie Albers Foundation in January 2025.
Contact
info@sophierowley.com
+49 (0)176 56830177