Artist reflection

Sonia Boyce uses a range of mediums in his work, including print, photography, video, sound, and drawing. The interplay between sound and memory, the dynamics of space, and involving the spectator are all explored in her work. 

 

Sonia's works are inspirational because in addition to the great visual experience she creates via the stacking of pieces, she also adheres some elements to the three-dimensional geometry of various forms and arranges some things.

 

'In the Castle of My Skin starts with the metaphor of skin as a covering, a surface, a barrier, a marker of identity and a connector between internal and external worlds. This builds on the intersection of diverse histories as a recurring theme in Boyce’s work. The sculpture and a newly-commissioned video expand Boyce’s thinking about the speculative nature of improvisation, social bonding, visual cultures and relationships to the built environment.  '

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In the work In the Castle of My Skin, I see the artist's understanding of his own personal identity and the current social environment, and his experimentation with a variety of media to express his subject matter, and it makes me rethink the possibilities of painting, whether to keep painting as it is, or to combine painting through a variety of media to express ideas.

I've attempted to include some collages into my artwork, but unlike Sonia, the materials I use for my collages typically originate from books in the library. Her artworks use collaged images made from my earlier sketches. Supposed to possess some redeeming features.

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The subsequent Sonia exhibition in Venice can be described as an updated version of In the Castle of My Skin, in terms of colour palette and texture, which is a step up in level.

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References:​​Boyce, S. (2017) Sonia Boyce : thoughtful disobedience. Nice : Villa Arson. 

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Sonia Boyce: In the castle of my skin (no date) Eastside Projects. Available at: https://eastsideprojects.org/projects/in-the-castle-of-my-skin/ (Accessed: January 23, 2023). 

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Sonia Boyce's Venice Biennale winner to be exhibited in UK Next Year (2022) The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/oct/26/sonia-boyces-venice-biennale-winner-to-be-exhibited-in-uk-next-year (Accessed: January 23, 2023). 

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