From November 1st, 2023 to January 31, 2023, The Untitled Space Gallery is presenting an exciting new solo exhibition from UK-based artist Sophie Goudman-Peachey, titled “Beneath the Surface: Be Seen, Be Counted”. The exhibition had an initial IRL viewing at Untitled’s NYC space from November 1 – 11, and the rest of the exhibition run will be viewable on Artsy.
“Beneath the Surface: Be Seen, Be Counted” is Sophie Goudman-Peachey’s debut solo show with The Untitled Space as a represented artist of the gallery, featuring a selection of her latest mixed media textile collage paintings, etchings, and drawings. The exhibition focuses on the theme of finding identity and healing after loss.
“‘Beneath the Surface: Be Seen, Be Counted’ guides the viewer through an emotional journey, with works created in the immediate aftermath of grief, and transitioning towards those that capture the rediscovery of self-identity and healing after loss,” said Sophie in a press release.
“The earlier works depicting life post-loss create a sense of mourning and introspection. The narratives constructed within the paintings convey a sense of emotional weight and turmoil and follow the artist’s real-time navigation through grief. We are then introduced to works featuring bolder colors and more dynamic compositions, with the combined use of painted and found fabric layered and stitched together with the energetically painted oil figures,” she continued.
A graduate of painting and fine arts from Wimbledon College of Arts, University of the Arts London, Sophie’s collective body of work is about women owning and reclaiming their strength and power whilst also revealing their vulnerability, femininity, masculinity, and androgyny. Her work aims to turn the patriarchal narrative on its head by empowering women through intersectional politics of identity, race, and sexuality – allowing space for women to be whoever they want.
Sophie has interwoven the topics she is most passionate about into this new exhibition, giving viewers a vehicle of expression for their own grief and healing, while finding inspiration for self-acceptance and growth amidst the loss.
“The works depict the artist’s journey towards self-discovery and acceptance, expressing themes of hope, resilience, and self-empowerment. The exhibition highlights the challenges of embracing vulnerability whilst also celebrating the power of self-love and reclaiming one’s identity. Ultimately, it is a visual representation of hope, joy, and understanding,” she says.
Sophie has exhibited her artwork internationally, including at Girls Run The World at Eclectica Contemporary, Cape Town; Accessible Art Show (Group Show), Black White Gallery, London, UK, Primary Textures (Duo Show), Wunika Mukan Gallery, Nigeria, and was the 2020 recipient of Sky Arts’ Portrait Artist of The Year. She has been featured in Elle Magazine UK, Chivas Regal International Women’s Day Campaign 2022, She Curates, and “Uniqlo Tate Lates” at Tate Modern, London.
We are exciting to see her incredible artistry through ‘Beneath the Surface: Be Seen, Be Counted’, and take solace in the fact that art itself can be a powerful source of healing and help us make sense of a troubled and dark world.
You can see the full exhibit online through January 31, 2024, and buy your favorite piece on Artsy.
