Artist Spotlight: Sopopomo

How long have you been an artist and when did you decide you wanted to pursue art as your profession?

Ever since I can remember, I've been creative and spent a lot of time making things. I started getting serious about art as a career in high school and decided to get an art degree when it came time for college.

How would you describe the style of your art and where do you draw your source of inspiration?

When I meet someone new who hasn't seen my work, I usually tell them "they're sculptures that are organic, blobby, colorful, and kind of gross" before I show them a picture because it's hard to describe something so visual! It's difficult for me to place my work in a category because my work doesn't represent anything in this world and it's not an abstraction of anything either. I draw a lot of my inspiration from the natural world, everything from geological formations to warning coloration in animals.

Tell us more about your artistic process. How do you go from concept to finished piece? What kind of materials do you use?

Normally, I start with a loose idea in mind of what I want/see and I go from there. The first half of my process (building the form) can be a little unpredictable due to the materials I use. The second half, the textures, allows me more control and feeds my obsessive side. I primarily work with polyurethane foam as my base material, with layers of resin and paints.

Your artistic process calls for a lot of patience, do you ever find ways to make the process more enjoyable or is it self-fulfilling?

I really enjoy all aspects of my process, so I don't necessarily think of it as needing patience. I've found ways to make the process work for me - there are days where I'm more in the mood to be loose and free so I'll work with the foams and resins more. Some days, I want to zone out so I'll work on textures.

How far do you think you could take your art and where do you see yourself at the highest point of your career?

I hope to take my work as far as I possibly can. Creating is my passion and I don't ever see an end to my expression. I imagine I'll be making things until the day I die, one way or another.

Can you tell us a little about your upcoming shows or exhibitions?

My next big thing is my solo show in May in NYC with Hashimoto Contemporary. I also have a few larger installation based projects in the works for 2019!

Finally, we would love to ask...what would you say to up and coming artists who want to pursue their passion?

I think a strong work ethic and studio practice is very important to establish early on. Continue to make even when you don't feel "inspired." Let your process inspire you. Find your voice and go deep!

Check out Sopopomo's website and Instagram for more information.