Sonia Martin

Sonia Martin is a London-based artist who is known for her distinctive figurative style. Martin trained at Byam Shaw, City and Guilds and Camberwell Schools of Art, but says that she has been ‘painting and drawing all her life’. Her works, which have retained a childlike simplicity and innocence, often depict figures (usually female) who stand facing the viewer. Though her paintings and etchings appear to narrate scenes, the artist refuses to explain them, preferring to leave them open to interpretation.
The work ‘Revolution’ (1993), which is painted in sombre blues and greens, shows three women, who are mid-movement, each with a different prop – suitcase, apple and drum. The title might refer to a political conflict or to an inner search for freedom. Indeed characteristic of Martin’s works is her depiction of inner emotions, thoughts, memories and dreams in external forms.