500 word essay

Throughout centuries of art history, portraiture work, like Pearson’s, seemed to highlight what the societies of the time claimed was an “ideal” body. The Renaissance had supple, rounded bodies, while the early 1900s tended to highlight thin, waifish frames. Pearson understands that her body does not fit the current beauty standard. Yet she knows... See more

26-year-old Sophie Pearson’s paintings capture the whimsy, nostalgia, and occasional aching sadness of girlhood through pastel-colored pieces that document both herself and her childhood.

As a child, art was my favorite pastime, a way to distract myself from what was going on around me, and a way to make others happy. As an adult, art serves an entirely different purpose in my life. I aim to make people feel both uncomfortable and understood. Art is no longer a tool for distraction, but a tool for exposure, leading me to confront my... See more

Pearson uses her body almost like clay, molding herself to the forms that fill her mind and fanatically capturing the different angles and perspectives. Her paintings hold a large visual interest through shape alone, but adding these narrative moments and meaning makes the work that much more enticing.