Championed Artist
Vallance depicts encounters from her daily life, in conversation with the world around her where the real and imagined collide.
Sophie Vallance Cantor (b.1993 Scotland) lives and works in London.
Vallance depicts encounters from her daily life, in conversation with the world around her where the real and imagined collide. An invitation to see the world through the artist’s eyes. Memories and scenes are often exaggerated, domestic cats become tigers and panthers, anxieties become real as monsters laying in the shadows.
Vallance’s practice in a wider context, acts as an antidote to her experiences of moving through the world as a neurodivergent person. Her self-portraits are ever changing, growing, shrinking and living through the canvases which seem to be chattering in conversation with each other. Vallance keeps the viewer slightly at length, they are invited in but not to participate in her world. They remain the ‘outsider’, like witnessing a private joke that hasn’t yet been explained to them.
There is a stillness amongst the storytelling, these small moments of salvation are elongated and immortalised through the medium of paint, to be savoured and meditated upon. The physicality of the paintings, thick umptuous strokes of oil paint, wet on wet and creamy edges where colours meet but don’t mix, perpetuate a feeling of joy further, feeling the enjoyment of the hands that have made each mark.
B. 1993, Scotland , Based in London, UK.
Education
2013-2015 Painting Camberwell College of Arts
2011-2012 Foundation in Art and Design CCW Progression Centre
Solo Exhibitions
2021 ‘Bad at Life (Good at Painting), Guts Gallery, London
2020 ‘Peeka-Fuckin-Boo’ Guts Gallery, London
2020 ‘Even Tigers Need a Rest’ Aleph Contemporary, London
Duo Exhibitions
2021 ‘Achy Breaky Heart’, NBB Gallery, Berlin
2021 ‘Sophie Vallance x Banal’, Galerie Tracanelli, Grenoble
2019 ‘Sophie Vallance X David Esquivel’ Galerie Tracanelli, Grenoble, France
2018 ‘They Said I Was Special’, Union Gallery, London
2018 ‘H E R U S' Berlin, Germany
Group Exhibitions
2021 ‘Strike Me a Pose’ Galerie Fran Reus, Mallorca, Spain
2021 ‘Achy Breaky Heart’, NBB Gallery, Berlin
2021 ‘Unsellable’ Just a Studio, London
2021 ‘Reality Check’ Guts Gallery, London
2021 ‘All Together Now’ Big Yin Gallery, St Leonards on Sea
2021 ‘Tiger in a Tropical Storm’ Louise Alexander Gallery, Italy
2021 ‘(Re) Birth of Venus’ Pulpo Gallery, Munich
2021 ‘A New Art World’ Guts Gallery, London
2021 ‘Introducing’ Guts Gallery at Sadie Coles
2021 ‘Now, Now’ Breach, Miami, USA
2021 ‘Holding Hands’ Union Gallery, London
2021 ‘Safe as Milk’ Arusha Gallery, Edinburgh
2021 ‘Back to Back’ Bowes Parris, London
2020 ‘NBB Paperworks Vol 1’ Berlin, Germany
2020 ‘Original Paper’ Wilder Gallery, London
2020 ‘Curated for Christmas’ Bowes Parris Gallery x All Mouth Gallery, London
2020 ‘Pending’ San Mei Gallery, London
2020 ‘Discerning Eye’ Mall Galleries London
2020 ‘LIMBO’ Everyday Gallery, Antwerp
2020 ‘The Just’ Aleph Contemporary, London
2020 ‘Begin Again’ Guts Gallery, London
2020 ‘Antifreeze’ Bowes Parris Gallery, London
2020 ‘When Shit Hits The Fan’ GUTS Gallery, London
2019 ‘Opening Exhibition’ GUTS Gallery, London
2019 ‘Let Me Try to Explain’ L21 Gallery, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
2019 ‘Manifest The Future’ Castiglioni, São Paulo, Brazil
2019 ‘Salad Days’, YNGSPC Online Exhibition
2018 'Predatory Behaviour', T293, Rome, Italy
2018 'Her Presence is Fuel' Mo Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2018 'Slightly Seared on The Reality Grill' Unit 5 Gallery, London
2017 'Young Contemporary Talent Exhibition' Ingram Collection, London
2017 'PC4PC' 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning, London
2017 'Mine, Others and Yours' We are BUD, Athens, Greece
2015 'One Potato, Two' Arch Collective, London
2015 '24 Hour Project' GX Gallery, London
2015 'UNIT' CGP/ Cafe Gallery, London
2012 'CCW Foundation Show' CCW Progression Centre, London
2012 'RBA and NADFAS Annual Show' Mall Galleries, London
Residencies and Awards
2019 L21 Gallery Residency, Spain
2017 Young Contemporary Talent Prize, Ingram Collection (FINALIST)
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In the studio with Sophie Vallance Cantor
Alex Leav, émergent Magazine -
SPILL YOUR GUTS: CURATOR JEN O'FARRELL IN CONVERSATION WITH SOPHIE VALLANCE CANTOR
Jen O'Farrell, Guts Gallery Curator, 24 Feb 2022 -
FAD Magazine feature Guts latest exhibition REALITY CHECK
Mark Westall , FAD Magazine , 23 Sep 2021 -
DAZED features latest Guts exhibition, REALITY CHECK
Emily Dinsdale, DAZED, 21 Sep 2021 -
Guts Gallery featured in The New York Times 'Gallery Weekend Brings London's Art Scene Back to Life '
Scott Reyburn, The New York Times , 7 Jun 2021 -
ELEPHANT FEATURES SOPHIE VALLANCE AND OLIVIA STERLING
Madeleine Pollard , ELEPHANT , 2 Apr 2021 -
Top Ten Shows from the UK and Ireland
Mimi Chu, Frieze, 12 Feb 2021 -
Artist Interview | Sophie Vallance Cantor
Josh Price, GowithYamo, 10 Jun 2020 -
SOPHIE AND DOUGLAS CANTOR. A catalyser of thoughts and experiences.
MARTIN MAYORGA, DATEAGLE ART, 24 Jul 2018 -
Sophie Vallance Interview on FLOORR MAGAZINE
Stephen Feather, Floorr Magazine, 10 Jul 2018 -
sophie vallance cantor’s cat paintings explore anxiety and empowerment
Alice Newell-Hanson, i-D Magazine, 25 Aug 2017 -
TO SKIN A CAT: IN CONVERSATION WITH SOPHIE VALLANCE CANTOR
Layla Leiman, ARTMAZE Magazine -
ON VIEW BY FLASH ART: “It’s 2020 For F*ck Sake” Guts Gallery and Soft Punk / London
Flash Art , 11 Dec 2020 -
IT’S 2020 FOR F*CK SAKE
ART PLUGGED, ART PLUGGED, 30 Sep 2020 -
The London art you can take a virtual tour of right now for free
Lucy Scovell, The Glossary, 29 Mar 2020 -
Explore south east London’s underground art galleries
Phoebe Gardner, Wallpaper, 21 Feb 2020 -
GUTS GALLERY TO OPEN IN LONDON NEXT WEEK PROVIDING SPACE AND EXPOSURE FOR BAME ARTISTS, FEMALE ARTISTS, WORKING-CLASS AR
Mark Westall, FAD Magazine, 10 May 2019 -
This Instagram-only exhibition is full of London’s best young artists
Eddy Frankel, Time Out London, 24 Mar 2020 -
Begin Again: The online exhibition challenging austerity and racial oppression
Scarlett Baker , Love Magazine, 13 Aug 2020 -
Scrap that, lets begin again
TJ Sidhu, The Face, 13 Aug 2020 -
Ten's to see 'When Shit Hits the Fan', The insta-exhibition by Guts Gallery
Paul Toner, 10 Magazine, 2 Apr 2020 -
Art markets find high-tech ways to reach buyers
Melanie Gerlis, Financial Times, 27 Mar 2020 -
When Shit Hits the Fan (In the Artworld)
TJ Sidhu, The Face, 27 Mar 2020 -
Guts Gallery present ‘When shit hits the fan’ a digital Instagram exhibition
Mark Westall, Fad Magazine, 23 Mar 2020 -
Begin Again is the virtual art exhibition tackling racial inequality
Gunseli Yalcinkaya, Dazed , 14 Aug 2020
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Tiger Stripes and Smoke
7 - 28 Jul 2022‘Tiger Stripes and Smoke’ is the latest body of work from Sophie Vallance Cantor. In this collection of paintings, Vallance has pushed - and been pushed - further, both mentally and creatively. Living under new layers of shadow and indeed casting some themselves, the inhabitants of her world navigate their...Read more -
Supporting the Disaster Emergency Committee
AN ONLINE ARTWORK CHARITY SALE 24 Mar 2022About DEC 'The DEC brings together 15 leading UK aid charities to raise funds quickly and efficiently at times of crisis overseas. In these times of crisis, people in life-and-death situations need our help, and our mission is to save, protect and rebuild lives through effective humanitarian response. Pooling our...Read more -
Sophie Vallance Cantor
BAD AT LIFE (GOOD AT PAINTING) 4 - 10 Nov 2021‘BAD AT LIFE (GOOD AT PAINTING)’ is the second solo exhibition by Sophie Vallance Cantor with Guts Gallery. OPENING NIGHT - 4 NOV 2021 6 - 9 PM GENERAL OPENING HOURS - 11AM - 6PM ADDRESS - Unit 14/15, Penarth Centre Ormside Street, London SE15 1TR Comprising of paintings, artist...Read more -
REALITY CHECK
23 Sep - 3 Oct 2021Opening: Thur 23 Sept 6-9pm Exhibition Location: Anderson Contemporary, Carpenter’s Wharf Studios, 4b Roach Road, London E3 2PA Via Monier Road Footbridge Regular Opening Hours: Wed - Sun 11-6pm Guts Gallery is pleased to present REALITY CHECK, the inaugural exhibition at Anderson Contemporary, a new artist-led gallery space in London....Read more -
A NEW ART WORLD
A NEW ART WORLD IS POSSIBLE. 22 - 29 Jul 2021Private View: Thursday 22 July 6-9pm Opening Hours: Tues - Sun 11am - 6pm Location: 147 Stoke Newington High Street, London, N16 0NY No RSVP's required BUY THE MANIFESTO PRINT NOW Picking up where Guts Gallery’s online show, When Shit Hits the Fan Again (Feb, 2021) left off, A New...Read more -
INTRODUCING
London Gallery Weekend at The Shop at Sadie Coles HQ 4 - 6 Jun 2021London Gallery Weekend 4-6 June 2021 11am - 8pm (Opening day) 11am - 6pm (Regular hours) The Shop at Sadie Coles HQ, 62 Kingly Street, London W1B 5QN Directions > Guts Gallery is excited to announce our exhibition for this year's London Gallery Weekend. 'INTRODUCING' presents a new and...Read more -
WHEN SHIT HITS THE FAN AGAIN
FOR ARTISTS BY ARTISTS, 1 NIGHT ONLY. 4 Feb - 4 Mar 2021Through the invitation extended to established artists into the exhibition. We are hoping to reinstate a balance of power. Allowing established artists to shoulder emerging artists. 50% of sales of works sold by an established artist, will be distributed entirely to all the emerging artists involved. This redistribution of wealth offers a new outlook and model that is fundamentally for artists, by artists, creating an alternative system of support.Read more -
PEEKA-FUCKIN-BOO
A Debut Solo Show by Sophie Vallance | It's 2020 For F*ck Sake – A Thirteen Artist, Back-to-Back Solo Exhibition Marathon 5 - 9 Nov 2020A Debut Solo Show by Sophie Vallance as part of the It's 2020 For F*ck Sake Exhibition MarathonRead more -
BEGIN AGAIN
As society shifts, the art world shifts. We are on the cusp of change. 13 - 27 Aug 2020This is a time to stop, reflect, create dialogue, and put our words into positive action. To begin again we must shoulder each other, listen to each other, work together and collectively change together. As the newest generation of art collectors, we urge you to collect from this exhibition. The revenue made will support The Free Black University and the newest generation of artists.Read more
Begin
to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start
Again
once more; another time; anew; in addition
With many thanks to Lotte Andersen for her continuous support throughout this exhibition, and to Pallas Citroen, Director of The Bomb Factory Art Foundation. Who is kindly providing a free gallery space as part of The Guts Prize.
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WHEN SHIT HITS THE FAN
Gallery openings have been affected by the spread of coronavirus 26 Mar - 16 Apr 2020Many art-related events, including Guts Gallery's, have either been cancelled or postponed, causing a large economic impact on artists and smaller galleries. We want to challenge this, putting our ethos of supporting underrepresented contemporary voices into action by navigating this set back through a digital Instagram exhibition.Read more
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GUTS GALLERY OPENING
Guts Gallery is opening its doors for the first time, exhibiting works from renowned and emerging practitioners at Ugly Duck’s London Bridge event space. 16 - 19 May 2019Guts Gallery is opening its doors for the first time, exhibiting works from renowned and emerging practitioners at Ugly Duck’s London Bridge event space.Read more