We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sonia Redfern. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sonia below.

Alright, Sonia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I learned to make things out of fabric from a very young age because my female relatives all did. Fabric was around the house and being used to make clothes, furniture, books, all kinds of things, and a lot of artmaking begins with a familiarity with materials. I think painting on recycled fabric came very naturally to me because I was so used to having fabric around and using it for different things.
As I grew older I took art classes in high school and then at university, but I took a few-year detour to pursue an astrophysics degree. I ended up switching focus back to art, but my work now is very informed by the ideas that I got to think about in those astronomy classes. I could have sped up the process of becoming an artist by going straight for the arts degree, but my work and life would have probably ended up in a very different place.
I think curiosity is essential for becoming an artist. Connecting to ideas, feelings, values, whatever is important to you, and being willing to take time to learn about them makes the artwork you create even richer with experience.

Sonia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I create artwork that explores the experience of awe at being immersed in natural contexts much bigger than ourselves.
I use recycled fabrics as an act of preservation of the natural world depicted in my work. The striped or plaid patterns and velvet or brocade textures of the fabric represent the waves of energy left over from the Big Bang that still permeate the universe to this day, enveloping us all at all times.
My work speaks to travel enthusiasts who know the feeling of awe from traveling, to nature lovers who know it from spending time in mountains, by the ocean, in the desert, or other places where the immensity of nature is undeniable, and to science fans who see the beauty of the universe by stargazing or in other scientific arenas.
When someone buys a work of art from me, they capture a remembrance of that feeling of awe and our interconnectedness with nature, the universe, and one another.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

A thriving creative ecosystem would be best supported with less gatekeeping and a greater diversity of artistic voices. Free open calls, residencies, and public arts opportunities for artists of all backgrounds and identities are a great start, but positions of power in the arts need less gatekeeping and more diversity as well, from curators and museum professionals to gallery owners and arts educators.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The world is a divided and messy place, but also full of wonder and beauty. My mission in creating art is to inspire awe and remind people of our shared home and humanity. I find each work to be personally fulfilling when I am reminded of those things, but it creates a really special feeling of connection and hope when someone who sees my artwork “gets it.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.soniaredfern.com
• Instagram: @soniaredfern