a talk with Sofie Marijnissen about her work as an artist

Sofie has always been involved in art and creating. After finishing high school, Sofie and Lies both went to study at the Sint-Lucas Institute in Ghent. Lies chose to focus on graphic design, while Sofie majored in drawing. Afterwards, their paths crossed again, when they both moved back to Antwerp.

Being old friends both following an artistic trail, it’s no surprise the two decided to work together.

Sofie: “I’ve been painting for a long time, but the last few years I’ve been especially fascinated by flowers. My grandmother owns a big garden full of flowers and plants and my neighbour is a florist, surrounding me with flower bouquets. This way, I started to use flowers as a source of inspiration.

Colour and movement, typical floral characteristics, have always been important in my work. Every season represents different flowers, every bouquet creates a different atmosphere. Sunflowers, for instance, evocate a whole different feeling than lilies. That’s why every painting looks different.”

Her work comes in a variety of colours and sizes.

Sofie: “Watercolours ask for a very different technique than my bigger works. Every new painting is therefore different. Composition also comes about in a very intuitive way: sometimes, I just turn around the vase, which enables me to paint flowers from another perspective.”

Sofie: Colour and movement, typical floral characteristics, have always been important in my work. Every season represents different flowers, every bouquet creates a different atmosphere.

The collaboration with Lies Mertens came about very naturally, using Sofie’s paintings to inspire a limited edition, printing them on the lining of the handbags. 

Lies: “Usually, I like to create neutral and timeless pieces. For this collaboration, however, it seemed essential to present eye-catching designs and colours. It just wouldn’t be right to create a black bag with Sofie: she’s always brightly dressed and together, we used to be the most colourful characters on the playground. Literally. This limited edition had to radiate a similar enthusiasm.”