Sophie Symes is a mixed media maker striving to create intriguing installations, jewellery and objects. Seeking out intricate surreal forms in nature to inform her tactile work, she hopes to combine beautiful form with personal concepts to create thought-provoking art.

 

Formally trained as a jeweller at the prestigious School of Jewellery as well as dedicated art college, Hereford College of Arts, she creates with accuracy and delicacy. Creating fine and art jewellery as well as installations and sculpture, she aims to use art as a vehicle for communication to highlight important social issues and push the boundaries of art and jewellery design.

 

Following personal experiences Sophie has decided to delve deeper into the subject of mental illness and its effects on the body. Many of her recent works have focused on the engulfing feeling of overwhelm. Using hand-sculpted growths reminiscent of lichen or coral, as a physical representation of overwhelm, she hopes to illustrate how it feels to experience a mental illness such as anxiety or depression. Through her encrusted creations she hopes to break down barriers and misconceptions surrounding mental health.