DARK ARTS

SOFIA TUOMINEN HAS A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH ART

Sofia Tuominen was born in Finland, moving to Horsham at the age of 12. She has always been creative, but has struggled with mental health and channels these emotions into her paintings. Although much of her output has dark themes and sexual symbolism, there are still moments of light, as AAH discovers…

Alter Ego

As a child growing up in Helsinki, Sofia loved to draw. Art provided an escape from reality, and while other children were outside playing, Sofia preferred to be left alone, creating a fantasy world of dragons and monsters. She also liked dressing up in costumes inspired by rock band Lordi, best known outside Finland for their 2006 Eurovision triumph.

Aged 10, she discovered Japanese manga and anime, which has influenced her work ever since. ‘I became quite obsessed by it,’ said Sofia. ‘I particularly liked stories with a strong heroine and many of my paintings depict women with big eyes, like you see in manga. These women are my alter egos. There is a darkness in much of the work, with scenes of torture, blood and death, as they’re an expression of how I felt.’

Goddess of Sexual Health (©Sofia

Deep Emotions

Sofia has suffered with anxiety and depression from a young age. After her family moved to Horsham eight years ago, she endured difficult teenage years. She left school at 15 and art has been her main focus in the five years since. Sofia said: ‘I have a love/hate relationship with art. Sometimes I know that I have not been good enough and other times I feel I’ve done well. I always expect more from myself. Do I feel happy when I finish a painting? I’m not sure if I do. But It does mean something to me when someone likes my work, even if I know they are not for everyone.’

BEAUTY & POSITIVITY

Two years ago, Sofia joined Rocket Artists, a Brighton-based group that celebrates diversity. She has exhibited with the group, and also contributed six paintings to NTKO (Not That Kind Of) Gallery in Lincolnshire, which were auctioned for a mental health charity. One of her most striking works, ‘Goddess of Sexual Health’, was selected for an exhibition called ‘Humanity’, held at Sotheby’s in London and hosted by arts charity, Outside In.

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