Sophia Szilagyi is a printmaker who predominantly uses digital printmaking to recreate distant scenes of memory and past experiences. In her multi-layered compositions, Sophia explores the relationship between fiction and non-fiction in our perceptions of reality and the effects of physical sensation and emotional response on memory. Sophia’s artistic process begins with the recollection of an impression of a certain painting, photograph, section of film or personal experience, and her attempt to recreate that memory in the form of an image. She collects imagery from a variety of sources and these elements form the opposing states of fiction and non-fiction that Sophia combines and overlaps so that the general interpretation of her work is a patchwork of real and imagined experiences. Sophia achieves this seamless layering by using digital technology, giving her the freedom to manipulate the imagery to create her desired mood and expression. The final works are printed on archival rag paper as this highly absorbent surface enhances the softness and dreamlike quality of her imagery. In her current work, Sophia has drawn her inspiration from the sea and coast, exploring the dualities of intersections between light and dark, earth and ocean. Through her digital prints, Sophia seeks to capture a sense of wonder, fear, beauty and sometimes danger that exists in both nature and in the imagination.
Sophia Szilagyi graduated with First Class Honours from the School of Art and Culture at RMIT in 2000. Since graduating, Sophia has held a number of solo shows, as well as having a strong presence in many group exhibitions across Australia. She has participated in numerous print award shows including the Fremantle Print Prize (2007) and the Banyule Award for Works on Paper (2011, 2009 and 2007). In 2005, Sophia was commissioned to complete an acquisition for the Print Council of Australia, and she is currently represented in the collections of the Burnie Regional Art Museum, La Trobe Regional Art Gallery, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, Queensland University of Technology and State Library of Victoria.
