The majesty of Sophie’s Silverback Gorilla (2016) lights up any space, with appliqué in purple fabrics adding impact to the bulk of this herbivorous great ape
There is so much characterisation and intent in the face of the artist’s Lilac lioness (2024), which is achieved through densely worked embroidery and careful placement of colour
An exhilarating African safari is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many of us, but for Sophie Standing, her husband and young children, it became a daily thrill.The British-born artist lived cheek by jowl with ‘coalitions’ of cheetah and ‘dazzles’ of zebra, so it was natural to let these denizens of the savannah animate her art. Although British-born, Sophie moved with her husband to Cape Town in South Africa in her twenties, and more recently lived in Kenya. Now based in Dorset on the south coast, her vibrant works combine these diverse geographical influences. Made with delicate, appliquéd, quintessentially British floral cotton fabrics, layered with densely-worked embroidery on canvas, she describes her process as ‘thread painting’.