Sonia Stewart

French, self-taught photographer, and painter I have a ten-year advertising background followed by an eight-year photography business. Having travelled and lived in NYC, London and Paris, I now live in Sydney with my family working on my art.

2010-2013
Back in France in 2010, Just before I turned 40, I met my wonderful friend and painting teacher Miri. She is a German artist who studied at the Beaux Arts in Berlin. She was determined to have me learn her craft when I never even dreamt of it. She trusted my photographic eye, love for light and shadows, which I quickly transcribed onto canvas.
 
I started drawing ink portraits of women from magazines. I later moved on to oil and fell in love with this smooth voluptuous and slow-paced medium.

2015
As a photographer I soon moved on to painting my own photographs of my two boys and the ocean, which both inspired me when we moved to Australia in 2015. I then started staging photos with my children as models, not subjects, exploring new angles, perspectives and dimensions.

2017
From my fragile women in ink, to oils depicting childhood, motherhood, fear and death I focussed on the body, skin and postures. But then covid and confinement creeped up on us and I felt compelle...

1992
Baccalaureat in languages and philosophy in Paris
1992 - 1993
Au-pair in NYC for a year
3 month course of International Economics and Politics at the NYU (New York University)
1993 - 1995
Sorbonne nouvelle degree in Spanish and English linguistics and civilisation
1995 - 1997
Degree in communications at Paris School of Advertising
1995 - 2005
Account exec/manager/ and director in advertising agencies between Paris, London and NYC including Bozell, Bates and Publicis

2009
solo photography exhibition - lanscapes - in Ware Hertfordshie UK
2011-2015
local exhibitions at the culture center and mairie of Biot village (south of France near Cannes), Galerie des Archives in Antibes.
2022
March - Gallery 109, Manly - "Covid Divas" painting
April - Creative Space - Covid divas