Dear art lover,

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I am delighted to welcome you to my world of art.

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My name Sonia Ben Achoura, and I am a French artist based in London, UK. As you explore my virtual world of sublime aesthetics, I want to share my journey with you, one that has been driven by a quest for knowledge and authenticity.

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I was inspired from an early age by Leonardo da Vinci. Intellectual pursuit, scientific inquiry and artistic exploration converge in his art. His work is a manifestation of a spiritual experience that uplifts the human experience to a transcendental level. I followed in his footsteps, and as a result, my trajectory has been far from linear. I have delved in both academic and experiential arenas, which reflects my  practices. I followed my interests, exploring a multitude of practices and fields of study. Along the way, I followed my intuition closely.

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I grew up between France and Spain. My parents had met at La Sorbonne University in Paris, my home city. My mother was interested in linguistics and literature, and I learned a lot from her. My summers were spent at the family house in Castilla y Leon, Spain. Those days were an immersive experience in art, literature and history. An avid reader, I made full use of my grandfather’s private library,  delving into the works of Proust, Flaubert, Dostoevsky, Camus, Borges, Garcia Marquez, among others. most of his works of art were of a religious nature, painted in the style of Carravagio. I was fascinated by their emotional power and technical prowess, despite their overly dramatic, if not frightening appearance.

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Travelling across Europe from north to south regularly, a fascination with colour arose.  Indeed, my earliest memory at a preverbal age is one of rays of light entering our home over the forest and through our window. I was captivated. I retained the heightened awareness of that moment and followed my intuition to preserve and nurture it. Painting takes me back to that special place, where light transcends all, and I commune with the world in a language of light and colour. Today, I continue to channel this ethereal sensitivity into a unique aesthetic language, forever testing the limits of colour in various mediums.

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My formal education denoted a talent for languages, and I went on to study French, Spanish and English as well as Latin and Greek. My A-level in Art History taught me the significance of art in relation to civilisation. It was by far my favourite subject. It highlighted the most notable masterpieces of human civilisation and the most salient spiritual sites. I continue to learn about them, extending the depth of my knowledge. Nowadays, I visit them in person regularly.

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Yet my first passion was dance. I remember walking into my first dance class at nine years of age. Life was never the same again. Dance was to be my first career. I initially trained in Paris and London. The apex of my training was at Marth Graham's contemporary dance school in New York. This was a time of utmost inspiration when I began devising cutting-edge performances with lasers and holographic effects that sparked seven years of touring.

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I set out to create costumes and stage sets and dance costumes, and my painting ability apparent. I was always exploring museums and art galleries, finding inspiration in everything and everywhere. By the time my performing career in dance came to an end I had painted a vast portfolio of stage sets and sculptures.

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In my early twenties, I had taken various courses in drawing, painting, ceramics and costume making. I had a sense that all art forms were facets of the same phenomenon, expressions of a similar source. Yet painting stood out as the most meaningful practice. The mirroring of the self upon the canvas seemed transcendental. The therapeutic effects of painting made its practice a necessity. Painting had become a central part was to my life and I was now meeting and collaborating with artists regularly. Inspiration befriended my restless mind.  The constant stream of ideas is only ever alleviated by my art practice. I am in my element in this unique state of flow. Interestingly, the motion inherent in dance had infiltrated itself into my painting practice.

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After years of a touring career in dance, I pursued a life-long dream to complete a degree in psychology. At that stage,  this course of study seemed ideal. it would allow me to investigate the workings of the mind, and I would finally be able to gain insights into the psychology of creativity.  I continued to paint while pursuing my degree and my masters in health psychology at London Metropolitan university. It was in those days that I began showing my art in London. I sold several paintings and took on various commissions. I immersed myself in London’s art scene, fuelling my artistic passion.

 

 It soon became apparent that I engage in similar research processes in both disciplines of art and science. I developed various series, on iconography, the visual system, psychological symbols, and many more. I developed a keen curiosity into the processes inherent in the visual system and creativity. I have been conducting research about the psychology of art for decades, and am currently working on several publications.

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The pandemic was a pivotal and prolific time. I developed a new visual language of geometric abstraction applied to landscape, injecting new solutions into my chromatic compositions. I engaged in a multitude of collaborations, winning a grant from the England Art Council to carry out a project of new media light paintings, initiating several books of art and poetry, and launching a solo virtual exhibition. I had the privilege of collaborating with some accomplished artists. Some of my paintings are now in private collections, and have been featured in major art publications. I have participated in exhibitions and international art events such as Art Basel Miami.

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My passion for science comes to life in my artwork.  In my art practice, the paradoxical nature of human existence is reconciled . It has been my lifelong quest to unravel the connections between the human psyche and the intelligence inherent in the universe. Art is a revelatory gift for all who dare to gaze into the mysteries of life, where the depths of beauty and emotion know no bounds. It is a gem that encapsulates these gifts for humanity to reflect, learn, and wonder.  

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If these ideas resonate with your own journey, I believe you will find a profound connection with my work. I warmly invite you into my world of art and explore the links on my website.

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You may consider becoming one of my esteemed art collectors.

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I ensure that my art is accessible to all. If you are interested in the idea of acquiring art and becoming a collector, I encourage you to get in contact. You are also welcome to sign up to my newsletter to keep receiving valuable updates and information.

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A new artwork can transform and uplift a space, injecting new energy and inspiration into our lives. Artists create culture, and living with their art is an inestimable gift.

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I hope you'll join me on this journey of pure artistic expression, fuelled by a passion for knowledge and beauty.

 

With heartfelt inspiration,

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Sonia Ben Achoura