Episode 264 - From Elite Sport to a creative life - a convseration with Sophie Cape

In this episode of Art Wank, we chat with artist Sophie Cape about the winding path that led her from elite sport to a life in contemporary art. Before establishing herself as an artist, Sophie competed at a high level in both skiing and cycling, dedicating years to training, competition, and the pursuit of performance. She reflects on the mindset required to succeed in sport and how those experiences continue to shape the way she approaches her work today.

Sophie also shares what it was like growing up with artist Ann Cape as her mother. Surrounded by creativity from an early age, art was always present in her life, although it would take many years and several career changes before she fully embraced it as her own path. We discuss the influence of family, the balance between inspiration and independence, and how her creative identity developed over time.

A major turning point came with a series of injuries that ultimately brought her sporting career to an end.

Sophie speaks candidly about the emotional impact of stepping away from elite competition and the challenge of rebuilding a sense of purpose after sport. What followed was a gradual shift towards art making, where she found a new outlet for curiosity, experimentation, and ambition.

We delve into Sophie's distinctive creative process, which often invites chance and the natural environment into the making of the work. Rather than treating the canvas as a static surface, she subjects it to weather, landscape, and time. Canvases are dragged across the ground, exposed to wind and rain, or left outdoors for weeks at a time, allowing the elements to leave their own marks. The resulting works become collaborations between artist and environment, capturing traces of movement, place, and duration.

We also celebrate Sophie's success as winner of the Hadley's Art Prize, a significant milestone that brought wider recognition to her practice. She reflects on what the award meant for her career and the opportunities that followed, alongside the realities of sustaining a creative life.

Sophie is represented by Liverpool St Gallery in Sydney

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