Sophia Maayan Weisstub is an incredibly skilled, interdisciplinary artist based in Tel Aviv. In her work, collage and doodling are reinvented and elevated into a different form of art and social critique. Inspired by daily realities and the human body she creates visually stunning masterpieces making the abstract come alive.
KB: Even though you are clearly gifted, you choose to work mostly with doodles. How did you make that choice?
Sophia: I wouldn’t say that I chose to work mainly with doodles, although I do use them a lot. I can’t avoid it! My body doodles drew a lot of attention, went viral, and that probably gave the impression that it is my main work. In actual fact, the doodles are just a part of a much larger spectrum consisting of the work I do. The pen (the doodling tool), is very easy to grab hold of, anytime and anywhere. As an idea or an image pop up in my head, it is natural for me to reach, get the pen and express it on the spot. Being able to immediately capture the idea, express it, share it and pass it on, is really neat!
KB: The human form is very present in your art. How do you view the body?
Sophia: I view the human body as both a container of our souls and a physical biological form. It is a sophisticated living structure. It is complex, fragile and temporary in its existence.
The human body in totality, including its organs, resemble many other organisms (flora and fauna) on our planet. Those universal patterns, shared by all living things fascinate me.
We are born into our body, we grow, develop and die in it. It contains our mind, our spirituality, and yet, it is transient. That gives rise to an endless number of interesting questions.
KB: Where do you draw inspiration from for your work?
Sophia: The inspiration for my work comes both from inner and external realities. I draw from my thoughts, feelings and from my surroundings. Reflecting leads to understanding, which I then try and capture using my artistic tools, be it drawing, filming, sculpting etc.
KB: What is your working process? Do you work on impulse or develop an idea first?
Sophia: It mostly starts with an idea. I can sometimes spend hours, even days thinking and trying to come up with an idea, other times the idea, just pops up in my head.
Next, I put a form on the abstract, making it come to life…
Yet, sometimes I draw, write or take a picture without any preconceived idea, and only later in retrospect I realize and understand what it can be.
KB: What would be your dream project?
Sophia: My dream project is to create an interactive space, a sort of parallel reality. The possibility of building an imagined place, a fantastic world, using VR / other progressive techniques of directing a curating and combining them with physical structures that enable the audience to share an experience and at the same time to take an active part and influence it.
KB: Are you working on something specific right now? What are you up to?
Sophia: At present, I am working with a great writer, friend and colleague, Mirna Funk (from Berlin) on a children’s book Mirna is the writer and I am the illustrator. Also, I am working on an animated video clip for a track by an amazing musician Beatfoot (from Tel Aviv), coming out next month (De Vibez EP). I am meeting curators and other people active in the art world in hope to exhibit, my work. I am looking forward to finding new formats and interesting spaces to create some new pieces. And finally, as always, I continue with my own art.
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