About
Sophia, is an artist rooted in the vibrant town of Sligo, originally hailing from Drogheda, Co Louth.
Shortly after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from ATU Sligo (I.T Sligo) in 2006, she spent an enriching year installing and invigilating exhibitions at The Model Arts Centre. Among the notable works she contributed to were Gerard Byrne’s ‘1984 and Beyond,’ Sean McSweeney’s ‘Retrospective,’ and the iconic Andy Warhol exhibition, ‘The Eternal Now: Warhol and the Factory ’63 – ’68’.
In 2009, Sophia co-founded ArtMart Studios, a self-initiated art space. Over two thriving years, ArtMart Studios played host to numerous group and solo exhibitions including Culture Night 2009/2010 and Cairde Festival 2010.
Seeking to explore the art of storytelling through images, Sophia attended a 24 week course in illustration tutored by illustrator Adrienne Geoghegan. Not long after, the inception of Flowermoon Studio began, where she crafted bespoke illustrations for small businesses and private clients. Her own creations, including greeting cards, badges, and prints, found homes at various markets.
In 2014, Sophia participated in ‘Pigs on Parade,’ a public arts initiative by The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation. Her whimsical creation, ‘Goddess Pig,’ was auctioned to support the cause. The following year, she was given the opportunity again with ‘Hares on the March,’ painting ‘Ziggy O Hare: Time Traveller.’
In 2017 her artistic skills extended into the realm of publishing when she was commissioned to craft a collection of watercolour spot illustrations for ‘The Get Up and Go Daily Planner for Busy Women’ (2018 edition). Her delightful creations still grace the planner’s newer editions today.
Sophia joined The Weir Gallery in 2019, a co-op art space, exhibiting and selling her artwork alongside local artists. During her two years there, she took responsibility for the upkeep of its website and social media platforms and contributed her talents in creating the gallery’s heron logo. During 2021 she further elevated her skills by learning pattern design. This paved the way for a transformation of Flowermoon Studio into a hub for surface pattern design. May of 2023 marked another milestone in her creative journey, when she attended Evolution, an International B2B surface pattern show in Amsterdam.
Exhibitions & CV
EXHIBITIONS & SHOWCASES
2026
Swift Summer Open, Swift Cultural Centre, Trim, Co. Meath.
Holding Ground, Hyde bridge Gallery, Co. Sligo.
2023
Evolution Trade Show, The Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
2019
Incognito, Solomon Gallery, Balfe Street, Co. Dublin.
RÚN, Hyde Bridge Gallery, Co. Sligo.
2018
Incognito, Solomon Gallery, Balfe Street, Co. Dublin.
RÚN, Hyde Bridge Gallery, Co. Sligo.
2017
Incognito, Solomon Gallery, Balfe Street, Co. Dublin.
Duleek Art Exhibition, Duleek Court House, Duleek, Co. Meath.
2016
Hares on the March, The CHQ Building, Co. Dublin.
2015
Off Sketch, Indigo and Cloth, Temple Bar, Co. Dublin.
Pigs On Parade, The CHQ Building, Co. Dublin.
2013
Surveyor, The Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, Co. Meath.
Papergirl Dublin, Lucy’s Lounge, Temple Bar, Dublin.
2012
Draw Tintin, Little Green Street Gallery, Dublin.
Get it to Galway, Filmbase, Temple Bar, Dublin.
BLOT, Little Green Street Gallery, Dublin.
2010
Open Season, The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim, Group Exhibition & Artist Critique
ArtMartists (Curator/Event Organiser) Cairde Festival, Group Show, Artmart Studios, The Mall, Sligo.
The Magic Number (Curator/Event Organiser) Group Show, Artmart Studios, The Mall, Sligo.
Happy Place (Curator/Event Organiser) Group Show, Artmart Studios, The Mall, Sligo.
2009
Art Crawl (Curator/Event Organiser) Culture Night Sligo. Sligo Town
EDUCATION & TRAINING
2003-2006
BA (Ord., Level 7) in Fine Art – ATU Sligo (IT Sligo), Ballinode, Co. Sligo.
2002-2003
FETAC Certificate in Art & Design (NCVA Level 2) – Sligo VEC, Co. Sligo
AWARDS, GRANTS & RESIDENCIES
2024
Six-month residency – Hyde Bridge Gallery, Yeats Memorial Building, Sligo.
Creative Heartlands / Enterprise Ireland award – Showcasing Creative Content Scheme
2023
TAME grant – Sligo Local Enterprise Office (supporting international showcase, Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
2025
Art Life Coach Certification – EfficientCoach (online)
2021
Immersion: Surface Design & Pattern (online)
2012
Adrienne Geoghegan’s Illustration Bootcamp, Carmelite Centre, Co. Dublin
COMMISSIONS & ROLES
2019 / 2020
Artist & Co-op Coordinator – The Weir Gallery, Garavogue Weir, Co. Sligo.
2018
Commission: twelve spot illustrations – Get Up and Go Diary
2015
Commission: window-banner designs – Hotchpotch, Drogheda, Co. Louth.
2009 / 11
Co-founder – Artmart Studios, The Mall, Co. Sligo.
2006/07 Supporting Technician (CE Scheme) – The Model, Co. Sligo
2016 / 07
Supporting Technician (CE Scheme) – The Model, Co. Sligo
MEMBERSHIPS
Visual Artists Ireland (2021- present) · Creative Frame (2020 – present) · The Studio, Liz Kohler Brown (2022 – 2026) · Biscuit Factory with Tara Pendergast (2024)
PRESS
Sligo Now Magazine – interviews (2016, 2020) · The Sligo Champion – exhibition coverage (2016) · Exhibition catalogues: Pigs on Parade (2015), Hares on the March (2016)
MEDIA AND ARTICLES
SLIGO NOW Magazine October issue 2020
SLIGO NOW Magazine April issue 2016
The Sligo Champion 2016 – Local Newspaper
Hare On The March – Catalogue