About
Sophie Bray’s artworks evince feelings of immersion and the connectedness one senses by the sea. Her painting, drawing and analogue photography practice reflects upon the beauty and fragility of the natural environment. She explores the physicality of water, wind and salient currents, which create the shifting tides and atmospheres over the tense and captivating point between land, sea and sky. She enjoys exploring tensions in her work, which pull between: abstraction and representation, gestural marks and smooth blended surfaces, monochromatic palettes and vibrant coloured grounds.
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Bio
Born in Sydney (1986) Bray completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (HONS1) and Masters of Fine Arts at the University of New South Wales. She was a recipient of the University of New South Wales Honours Scholarship, The Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence, The Australian Postgraduate Award (2008-2010), The Toyota Emerging Artist Encouragement Award and the William Fletcher Foundation Scholarship for drawing. From 2004, she has held 6 solo exhibitions and been included in 24 group exhibitions. In 2008 her work was acquired by the Morton Bay Art Collection, as part of the ‘15 Artists Award’ at the Redcliffe City Art Gallery in Queensland. In 2015 Bray’s work was published in a book of international contemporary artists, Super Modified: The Behance Book of Creative Work. She exhibited for the first time in Paris in 2018 as part of the Paris Drawing festival at Galarie ALB. She has been a finalist in the Ravenswood Australian Art Prize, The 20000 Lethbridge Small Scale Art Award, The Waverley Art Award, the JADA, The Sunshine Coast Art Prize, The Hazelhurst Paper Awards and The National Emerging Art Prize.
Artist's CV
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Solo Exhibitions
2016 ‘Umbra’, Moran Gallery
2016 'Currents', Folonomo Gallery
2014 ‘Falling Light’, Queen Street Gallery
2011 ‘Dark Skies’, General Store for Contemporary Art
2010 ‘Oceanic’, Hazelhurst Community Gallery
2010 ‘Oceanic’, COFA Space
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Group Exhibitions and Prizes
2022 National Emerging Art Prize, Michael Reid Art Bar
2022 Waverley Art Prize, Bondi Pavilion
2022 ‘6’, Adelaide Perry Gallery, Croydon
2022 The Lethbridge 20000 Small Scale Art Award, Brisbane
2022 The Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize, Ravenswood
2021 Hazelhurst 20 Years, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery
2018 'Drawing in Gallery', Galerie ALB, Paris
2018 'PWYT', Casula Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
2017 'Expanding Possibilities for the Image', 220 Creative Space, Sydney
2016 ‘Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award’, Grafton Regional Art Gallery
2016 ‘PWYT’, M2 Gallery
2012 ‘Cumulus Attacked By A Contrary Wind’, General Store for Contemporary Art
2011 ‘You’ll be traveling incognito’, General Store for Contemporary Art
2011 ‘Remnants in Documentation’, General Store for Contemporary Art
2011 ‘RM 619’, Vaucluse House
2010 ‘Jacaranda Acquisitive Drawing Award’, Grafton Regional Art Gallery
2010 ‘Sydney Children’s Hospital Exhibition’
2010 ‘Precious Papers’, Pine Rivers Regional Art Gallery
2009 ‘Decisions’, ESP Gallery
2009 ‘Sunshine Coast Art Prize’, Caloundra Regional Art Gallery,
2009 ‘Hazelhurst Paper Awards’, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery
2009 ‘Overlapping’, Hazelhurst Community Gallery
2008 ‘15 Artists Award’, Redcliffe City Art Gallery
2008 ‘Tim Olsen Drawing Prize’, KUDOS Gallery
2007 ‘Honours Show’, COFA
2007 ‘Graduation Show’, COFA
2007 ‘Golden Ticket Award’, KUDOS Gallery
2007 ‘Tim Olsen Drawing Prize’, KUDOS Gallery
2007 ‘Hazelhurst Paper Awards’, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery
2007 ‘Jenny Birt Award’, COFA Space
2007 ‘Outback Art Prize’, Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery
2007 ‘ILIRI Exhibition’, KUDOS Gallery
2006 ‘Graduation Show’, COFA
2006 ‘Outback Exhibition’, COFA Space
2004 ‘Art Express’, Art Gallery of New South Wales
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Academic Qualifications
2010 Master of Fine Arts, The University of New South Wales
2008 Bachelor of Fine Arts (HON 1), The University of New South Wales
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Awards & Scholarships
2008-2010Australian Postgraduate Award
2009 The Toyota Emerging Artist Encouragement Award
2007 The Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence
2007 William Fletcher Foundation Scholarship
2007 University of New South Wales Honours Scholarship
Publications
2015 Super Modified: The Behance Book of Creative Work
Collections
Moran Art Foundation Collection, Sylvania
Morton Bay Art Collection, The Redcliffe City Art Gallery
