Sophia L Franks is an emerging Gold Coast based artist creating temporal installations and sculptures from bio-based and organic materials. As part of her arts practice, Sophia creates a biomaterial which is used to critique and investigate the ethical and material value systems that underpin our relationship with the natural environment. Sophia deeply considers the impact that she, as an individual has on nature and attempts not to sacrifice its health and well-being in order to create her artworks. Key to her practice is the feedback loop of the works created, knowing the life cycles of the materials she uses and their implications directly upon our fragile environment. By appropriating nature, she is promoting aesthetic and poetic expressions that boost a conscious relation between humankind and nature. Sophia has recently completed a two year Professional Development Program for Generate GC 2021/2022, City of Gold Coast. And in 2020 completed her Bachelor of Arts and Design at the Southern Cross University.
Photo: City of Gold Coast, Ellamay Fitzgerald
Curriculum Vitae
Solo Exhibitions
2022 - What We Consider Waste, Dust Temple Currumbin QLD
Group Exhibitions
2022 - Fashion Forest, Robina Community Centre QLD
2021 - Nation Street Press Spring Launch, Dust Temple Currumbin QLD
2021 - Alternative Energies, Robina Community Centre QLD
2021 - Graduates & Program Relaunch, Northern Rivers Community Gallery Ballina NSW
2021 - Moving On, Byron School of Arts Mullumbimby NSW
2021 - Level Up Artist Residency Exhibition, Level up Studio + gallery Coolangatta QLD
2020 - Gradshow Exhibition, Pleasure LAB Gallery Lismore NSW
2020 - Gradshow Not Gradshow, Elevator Gallery Lismore NSW
2020 - Boarder Arts Prize, Tweed Regional Gallery Tweed Heads NSW
2020 – Connection, Lismore Art Space Lismore NSW
2020 - Door To Door, Art Aviso 8.0 Online Platform
2014 - Go Art, Grafton Regional Gallery Grafton NSW
Awards
2020 - 1st Prize, NAVA Ignition Southern Cross University, Lismore NSW
2014 - 1st Prize, Abstract Drawing Go Art, Grafton NSW
2014 - 2nd Prize, Abstract Drawing Go Art, Grafton NSW
Artist Residencies/ Creative Development Programs
2021/2022 - Generate GC Lab, City of Gold Coast QLD
2020 - Level Up Youth Arts Incubator Program, Coolangatta QLD
Workshops
2021 - What We Consider Waste (Generate CG) - Dust temple, Currumbin QLD
2021 - Weaving Workshop - Art-Work Agency, Gold Coast QLD
2021 - Biomaterial Making - Level Up, Coolangatta QLD
Live Performance
2021 - Neon Remix, HOTA Gallery Bundall QLD
2021 - Nation Street Press Winter Launch, Dust Temple Currumbin QLD
2019 - Futures Northern Rivers, Southern Cross University Lismore NSW
2019 - Futures Gold Coast, Sea World Conference Centre QLD
Editor & Curator of Nation Street Press