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OverviewSophie Vallance Cantor, studio portrait, courtesy of the artist.
Although viewers are welcome into her world, they are kept at arm's length, treated like outsiders – voyeurs – looking in on a private moment.
Sophie Vallance Cantor, born in 1993 in Stirling, Scotland, is currently based in London. She studied Foundation in Art and Design at the CCW Progression Centre and Painting at the Camberwell College of Arts.Throughout her artistic practice, Vallance Cantor has been the architect of an entire cosmos in which the inner workings of her mind are constantly displayed, blurring the line between what is real and what is imaginary. Therefore, her paintings offer an ultimately personal approach, summoning the viewers and inviting them to see the world through her eyes; a universe where bright neon signs light up dark alleyways and domestic cats transform into wild beasts in 24-hour bars and cafés. Each of her paintings can be interpreted as a still from a film; the characters stare back at the viewer with a “cool” and detached feeling as they ride a motorcycle down an infinite highway or blow cigarette smoke while sipping a cocktail. Although viewers are welcome into her world, they are kept at arm's length, treated like outsiders – voyeurs – looking in on a private moment.Amidst the narrative of her paintings, a sense of tranquillity and stillness prevails. Each small moment is immortalised and cherished through thick, luscious strokes of oil paint, infused with a palpable sense of joy and pleasure, bringing the creative process to life. All the figures depicted are bold and powerful, their vivid colour palette inviting the viewer to revel in the pleasures of her practice.Despite the playful and mischievous nature of Vallance Cantor’s works, they serve as a conduit for her experiences as a neurodivergent individual. Her self-portraits, in particular, are in a constant state of evolution and conversation on the canvas. Themes of identity and self-actualisation are ever-present, offering a glimpse into the uniqueness of her perspective. -
Works
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Boo!, 2024 -
Flowers for our Table, 2024
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Houston in Two Seconds, 2024
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Little Blue, 2024
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Play/Fight, 2024
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Sacred Studio, 2024
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Save Your Coins for the FotoAutomat, 2024
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You Don't Believe in the Devil? You Should, he Believes in You, 2024
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Biography
EDUCATION
2015
Painting Camberwell College of Arts
2012
Foundation in Art and Design CCW Progression Centre
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023
- NBB, Berlin, Germany, “Burnout”
- Galerie Fran Reus, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, “Ride or Die”
2022
- Guts Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “Tiger Stripes and Smoke”
2021
- Guts Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “Bad at Life (Good at Painting)”
2020
- Guts Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “Peeka-Fuckin-Boo”
- Aleph Contemporary, London, United Kingdom, “Even Tigers Need a Rest”
DUO EXHIBITIONS
2024
- Haricot Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “Dream within a Dream”
- Enari Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherldands, “Meet the Cantors”
2021
- NBB Gallery, Berlin, Germany, “Achy Breaky Heart”
- Galerie Tracanelli, Grenoble, France, “Sophie Vallance x Banal”
2019
- Galerie Tracanelli, Grenoble, France 2018 “They Said I Was Special”
2018
- Union Gallery, London, United Kingdom “Sophie Vallance X David Esquivel”
- Berlin, Germany, “H E R U S”
2017
- We are BUD, Athens, Greece, “Mine, Others and Yours”
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023
- Guts Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “New, Now”
- Union Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “UNI[2]ON”
- Galerie Slika, Lyon, France, “Meeting Point”
2022- Mrs Gallery, New York, USA, “Even A Cat Can Look At The Queen”
- Sotheby’s, New York, USA, “Grassroots”
- JVDW, Düsseldorf, Germany, “Jerry Gagosian’s Suggested Followers: TheAlgorithm is always Right”
- Staffordshire Street, London, United Kingdom, “Bag, Pedestal, Rabbit, Potato”
2021
- Galerie Fran Reus, Mallorca, Spain, “Strike Me a Pose”
- Just a Studio, London, United Kingdom, “Unsellable”
- Guts Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “Reality Check”
- Big Yin Gallery, St Leonards on Sea, United Kingdom, “All Together Now”
- Louise Alexander Gallery, Italy, “Tiger in a Tropical Storm”
- Pulpo Gallery, Munich, Germany, “(Re) Birth of Venus”
- Guts Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “A New Art World”
- Guts Gallery at Sadie Coles, “Introducing”
- Breach, Miami, USA, “Now, Now”
- Union Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “Holding Hands”
- Arusha Gallery, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, “Safe as Milk”
- Bowes Parris, London, United Kingdom, “Back to Back”
- NBB, Berlin, Germany, “NBB Paperworks Vol 1”
2020- Wilder Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “Original Paper”
- Bowes Parris Gallery x All Mouth Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “Curated for Christmas”
- San Mei Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “Pending”
- Mall Galleries London, United Kingdom, “Discerning Eye”
- Everyday Gallery, Antwerp, Brussels, “Limbo”
- Aleph Contemporary, London, United Kingdom, “The Just”
- Guts Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “Begin Again”
- Bowes Parris Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “Antifreeze”
- GUTS Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “When Shit Hits The Fan”
2019- GUTS Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “Opening Exhibition”
- L21 Gallery, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, “Let Me Try to Explain”
- Castiglioni, São Paulo, Brazil, “Manifest The Future”
- YNGSPC Online Exhibition, “Salad Days”
2018- T293, Rome, Italy, “Predatory Behaviour”
- Mo Gallery, Berlin, Germany, “Her Presence is Fuel”
- Unit 5 Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “Slightly Seared on The Reality Grill”
2017- Ingram Collection, London, United Kingdom, “Young Contemporary Talent Exhibition”
- 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning, London, United Kingdom, “PC4PC”
2015- Arch Collective, London, United Kingdom, “One Potato, Two”
- GX Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “24 Hour Project”
- CGP/ Cafe Gallery, London, United Kingdom, “UNIT”
2012- CCW Progression Centre, London, United Kingdom, “CCW Foundation Show”
- Mall Galleries, London, United Kingdom, “RBA and NADFAS Annual Show”
ART FAIRS
2025
- Art Rotterdam (with Enari Gallery), Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2024
- The London Art Fair (with Guts Gallery), London, United Kingdom
- Amsterdam Art Week (“Meet the Cantors” with Enari Gallery), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- CAN Art Fair (with Enari Gallery), Ibiza, Spain
2023
- KIAF (with Everyday Mooonday), Seoul, South Korea
- KIAF (with Yusto Giner), Seoul, South Korea
- KIAF (with Galerie Fran Reus), Seoul, South Korea
- ZONAMACO (with Yusto Giner), Mexico City, Mexico
RESIDENCIES AND AWARDS
2019
- L21 Gallery Residency, Spain
2017
- Young Contemporary Talent Prize, Ingram Collection (FINALIST)
PRESS
Hyperallergic Review
GowithYamo Video Interview
Art Verge Interview
ArtMaze Mag Online Interview
I-D Italy Interview
NERO Magazine
DATEAGLE ART Interview DATEAGLE ART Studio Visit ArtMaze Magazine Feature Issue 8 Floorr Magazine Interview
I-D Magazine Interview
Legumes Interview
Und.Athens Review -
Exhibitions
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Art fairs
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Art Rotterdam 2025
Rotterdam AHOY 27 - 30 March 2025We are pleased to announce that Enari Gallery will be participating in the 25th edition of Art Rotterdam, celebrating the new location at Rotterdam AHOY....Read more -
CAN Art Fair 2024
26 - 30 June 2024Enari Gallery is thrilled to announce its debut in Contemporary Art Now with a selection of works by represented artist Johanna Bath (DE, b. 1980)...Read more -
Amsterdam Art Week 2024
30 May - 2 June 2024Enari is pleased to announce, ‘ Meet the Cantors ’ for this year's 13th edition of Amsterdam Art Week! In their third collaboration, Sophie Vallance...Read more
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Contact Form
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Scottish, b. 1993
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