MAKERS | EUROPE | UK | MULTI-MEDIA
Sophie Coryndon | Multi-Media Sculptor
Sophie Coryndon is a British artist whose intricate wall reliefs, objects, and drawings fuse historical ornament with contemporary craftsmanship. Rooted in a deep fascination for nature, myth, and the decorative arts, her work reimagines gilded manuscripts, medieval altarpieces, and cabinets of curiosity. Trained in an array of specialist techniques – from gilding and sculpting to lost wax casting – Coryndon’s pieces evoke wonder and a sense of the sublime, and have been exhibited at TEFAF, PAD, and Design Miami/Basel.
How did you begin?
I grew up in Wiltshire, England as the daughter of a cabinet maker. My fathers workshop was 5 minutes from our home and I loved spending time there amongst the drawers of materials coveting little pieces of veneer or shagreen to make things out of. Often chairs would be bought home to cane or clock faces to restore and as I got older I was able to help with these tasks gathering skills along the way. My Grandparents who lived nearby were also creative influences, cooking, gardening, painting, furniture restoration, needlework all everyday parts of life.
After a degree in Fine Art I worked at my fathers workshop in the finishing shop and studied gilding amongst other fine finishes. Working with Interior Designers such as Robert Kime, I began my career in many of England’s Finest country houses which has had a strong influence in my work. In 2000 I began a 10 yr relationship with a gallery in London painting large scale botanical studies. Eventually, I became frustrated with two dimensions and began to combine the skills that I learned in my apprenticeship with my father with my fine art practise to create the pieces that I make today.
How did you learn?
My skills have been gathered along the way working alongside my father although I did have formal trading in Fine Art and Gilding. Because I develop new methods in the studio, taking contemporary materials and combining with traditional techniques, I am not using a specific skill that I have been taught other than working with gold leaf. I am always learning and experimenting delving into other crafts such as book binding or goldwork to pick up techniques or materials to weave into my works.
Who or what most influences your work?
I have many influences that I draw on. The natural world is a constant source of wonder and inspiration. Renaissance altar pieces and tapestries, medieval herbals, cabinets of curiosity, gardens, textiles, poetry, fairytales, folklore, magic realism, architecture……
How do you plan, prepare, and create?
Each piece is different but I start the process by drawing so I understand how I might begin to make it. I then sculpt the elements using dental tools and a scalpel in industrial clay. We then create moulds of these masters from which we can cast multiples. We cast the individual pieces in plaster and time is spent cleaning each cast and adding undercuts. They are then gilded and tinted and pinned into position.
What does a typical day look like?
When I am working on a project my day starts very early. I love early mornings before anyone else is awake and the emails begin. I usually drink too much coffee whilst sitting with my notebooks of ideas and watch the sun come up. In the summer I walk my dog to the studio which is across several fields and I will then be very focused, working for at least eight hours a day. I have no WiFi or email at my studio which allows me to fully concentrate on making. Another dog walk home clears my head before an evening of pottering in the garden, emails, cooking and reading and an early night before repeating it all the next day. When there are no deadlines I try and build in visits to exhibitions, museums and gardens to find inspiration or visit fellow artists in their studios.
One more thing… A place or space that most inspires you?
Florence and in particular the Museo di San Marco.
Interview by Lucrezia Lucas
Images courtesy of Studio Coryndon
EXPLORE THE ATLAS
SOPHIE CORYNDON
