Lot 7 - Sophie Vallance Cantor - Tiger Collage

ARTIST INFO

About 

Throughout her practice, Vallance Cantor creates worlds that express the inner workings of her mind by blurring the line between reality and imagination. Her paintings offer a unique perspective as they invite viewers to see the world through her eyes: where bright neon signs light up dark alleyways and domestic cats transform into wild beasts in 24 hour bars and cafés. Each painting reads like a still from a film; characters look at the viewer with a sense of cool detachment as they ride motorcycles down an infinite highway or smoke cigarettes and blow smoke while nursing a cocktail. 

Amidst the narrative of her paintings there often lies a sense of stillness, with each small moment immortalised and savoured through thick, luscious strokes of oil paint that exude a palpable sense of joy and pleasure in the creation process. Vallance Cantor’s figures are depicted with strong, bold shapes and her use of vivid colours invites the viewer to relish in the pleasures of her practice. There is a certain sense of playfulness and mischievous delight that permeates all of Vallance Cantor’s work. 

In a broader context, Vallance's art serves as a counterbalance to her experiences as a neurodivergent individual, with her self-portraits constantly evolving and conversing with each other on the canvas. Although viewers are welcomed into her world, they are still kept at arm's length, like outsiders looking in on a private moment. 

Education 

Painting, Camberwell College of Arts 

Select Exhibitions/Awards 

Solo Exhibitions 
2025 Upcoming Guts Gallery, London 
2023 Burnout NBB Gallery, Berlin 
2023 Ride or Die, Galerie Fran Reus, Palma 
2022 Tiger Stripes and Smoke, Guts Gallery, London 
2021 Bad at Life (Good at Painting), Guts Gallery, London 
2020 Peeka-Fuckin-Boo Guts Gallery, London 
2020 Even Tigers Need a Rest, Aleph Contemporary, London 
  
Art Fairs 
2023 Everyday Mooonday, KIAF Seoul  
2023 Yusto Giner, KIAF Seoul 
2023 Galeria Fran Reus, KIAF Seoul 
2023 Yusto Giner, ZONAMACO Art Fair, Mexico City 
  
Group Exhibitions 
2023 NEW NOW, Guts Gallery, London, UK 
2023 UNI[2]ON, Union Gallery, London, UK 
2023 Meeting Point, Galerie Slika, Lyon, France 
2022 Even a Cat Can Look at the Queen, Mrs, New York, US 
2022 Grassroots, JVDW, Düsseldorf 
2022 Jerry Gagosian’s Suggested Followers: How the Algorithm is Always Right, Sotheby's New York 
2022 Bag, Pedestal, Rabbit, Potato, Staffordshire Street, London 
2021 Strike Me a Pose, Galerie Fran Reus, Mallorca, Spain 
2021 Achy Breaky Heart, NBB Gallery, Berlin 
2021 Unsellable, Just a Studio, London 
2021 Reality Check, Guts Gallery, London 
2021 All Together Now, Big Yin Gallery, St Leonards on Sea 
2021 Tiger in a Tropical Storm, Louise Alexander Gallery, Italy 
2021 (Re) Birth of Venus, Pulpo Gallery, Munich 
2021 A New Art World, Guts Gallery, London 
2021 Introducing, Guts Gallery at Sadie Coles 
2021 Now, Now, Breach, Miami, USA 
2021 Holding Hands, Union Gallery, London 
2021 Safe as Milk, Arusha Gallery, Edinburgh 
2021 Back to Back, Bowes Parris, London 
2020 NBB Paperworks Vol 1, Berlin, Germany 
2020 Original Paper, Wilder Gallery, London 
2020 Curated for Christmas, Bowes Parris Gallery x All Mouth Gallery, London 
2020 Pending, San Mei Gallery, London 
2020 Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries London 
2020 LIMBO, Everyday Gallery, Antwerp 
2020 The Just, Aleph Contemporary, London 
2020 Begin Again, Guts Gallery, London 
2020 Antifreeze, Bowes Parris Gallery, London 
2020 When Shit Hits The Fan, GUTS Gallery, London 
2019 Opening Exhibition, GUTS Gallery, London 
2019 Let Me Try to Explain, L21 Gallery, Palma de Mallorca, Spain 
2019 Manifest The Future, Castiglioni, São Paulo, Brazil 
2019 Salad Days, YNGSPC Online Exhibition 
2018 Predatory Behaviour, T293, Rome, Italy 
2018 Her Presence is Fuel, Mo Gallery, Berlin, Germany 
2018 Slightly Seared on The Reality Grill, Unit 5 Gallery, London 
2017 Young Contemporary Talent Exhibition, Ingram Collection, London 
2017 PC4PC, 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning, London 
2015 One Potato, Two, Arch Collective, London 
2015 24 Hour Project, GX Gallery, London 
2015 UNIT, CGP/ Cafe Gallery, London 
2012 CCW Foundation Show, CCW Progression Centre, London 
2012 RBA and NADFAS Annual Show, Mall Galleries, London 
  
Duo Exhibitions 
2021 Achy Breaky Heart, NBB Gallery, Berlin 
2021 Sophie Vallance x Banal, Galerie Tracanelli, Grenoble 
2019 Sophie Vallance X David Esquivel, Galerie Tracanelli, Grenoble, France 
2018 They Said I Was Special, Union Gallery, London 
2018 H E R U S, Berlin, Germany 
2017 Mine, Others and Yours, We are BUD, Athens, Greece 
  
Residencies and Awards 
2019 L21 Gallery Residency, Spain 
2017 Young Contemporary Talent Prize, Ingram Collection (Finalist) 

Gallery Representation 

Guts Gallery 

Statement about AOAP Submitted Artwork 

As someone who typically works on square paper and canvas, I wanted to approach the postcard with that in mind. By using collage from an original painting, I made on paper and cutting and placing it to fit the postcard shape it ends up feeling true to my own practice but also true to the spirit of Art on a Postcard. The tiger motif is also a recognisable element from my wider practice, and was enjoyable yet challenging to create small whilst maintaining the feeling of a larger painting. 

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