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Collecting Self

The wool of a sweater, passed down by my mother, pills and pulls as the material remembers each of its lives. Books lent to me years ago are aged and stained from school days spent in the bottom of my backpack with crumpled to-do lists and doodles treasured enough to keep. The floor of my room, littered with clothing, jewelry, and the evidence of dress up, becomes, like the others, a portrait of me through the years. The orange dress worn to a party ages ago, the ring that still doesn’t fit, nail polish stolen from my sister and colorful friendship bracelets worn to shreds are each painted investigations into the power of objects as superficial vessels for our memory and connection.

The precious items collected and carefully curated into our lives memorialize all the unique versions of ourselves. Each of the hands that these objects have touched before arriving in mine are present in my paintings. Every mark, tear, and scratch received is remembered on their surface. Documenting these subjects with oil paint is an act of remembering the person that I was when these objects became mine and the thread connecting me to those who gifted them.

Bio

Sophie Masters (b. 2001) is a New England-based artist born and raised in Southern New Hampshire. Sophie is a realist painter with a love for colors, textures, and detailed compositions. Inspired by memories, the close-knit communities and beautiful landscapes of New England, Sophie uses her work to explore identity, selfhood, and connection through the things in our lives that provide the most comfort and security.