Sophie Green is a contemporary artist and conservationist, advocating for endangered wildlife and the planet. Her two passions combine to create art with purpose, from which she donates a percentage of her sales to charities that support these vital causes.
Join us as Sophie shares details of her new exhibition, The Saddest Show on Earth and her collection of paintings Commodities, which are now available as open edition prints, exclusively with K&M.
Q: Hi Sophie, could you tell us about your exhibition The Saddest Show on Earth, which is on show at The Vaults in London between 18-30 March?
A: The Saddest Show on Earth, an exhibition showcasing my latest collection of work; ‘Commodities’, explores the commodification of nature and wildlife. My aim for the exhibition was to frame it as a kind of spectacle – much like a travelling circus – where these ‘commodities’ become the unwilling performers. Each piece tells a story of exploitation and loss of dignity. I want people to leave the exhibition feeling both awe and discomfort. I want people to start to question these strange and entitled systems that we’re all deeply entangled in as humans.
The Commodities collection and The Saddest Show on Earth exhibition is in support of wildlife conservation projects, including work undertaken by friends of mine at The Born Free Foundation.
‘I was much more passionate about wildlife and being in nature and that has certainly carried through into my career as an artist.’
Sophie Green
Q: You paint highly detailed, hyperrealistic animal portraits. Could you tell us about your practice, did you learn to paint at an early age?
A: I have painted since I was old enough to hold a paint brush, but I was definitely not particularly gifted or naturally talented. In fact, I was much more passionate about wildlife and being in nature and that has certainly carried through into my career as an artist. I have spent most of my career arguing with people that the only ‘natural gift’ I possess is the gift of becoming obsessed with something and having the determination to spend 10,000 hours on it.
As a young artist, my mentor was my brother, who was 10 years older than me and is still a much better artist. I still send him work to critique, just as I did on the living room floor when I was a kid. Now, I work from my studio in the woods in East Sussex.
Q: Have you travelled to see any of the animals that you have painted in their environments? How were these experiences?
A: Most of my paintings are inspired by animals that I have seen in the wild. I think it’s important to engage with what you’re painting, see how it moves, the look in its eyes, the story or emotion you’re trying to convey in the art.
My last collection of work was inspired by an expedition I took to the Arctic, where I witnessed first hand the negative impact of climate change. Having travelled to various parts of the world, from the Galapagos Islands, to the African plains, I realised that all of the ecosystems on our planet and the wildlife in them are so interconnected and so vital to protect.
Although I’m not really an ‘en plein air’ painter, over the years I have started to also experiment with photography and incorporate this into my process; using reference photos that I have taken on my travels to make a sort of ‘composite’ reference image that resembles the idea that is in my head.
Q: Alongside being an artist, you are an environmentalist and conservationist. Could you tell us more about these areas of work?
A: I’ve found that my work as an artist (and in general being an animal and nature enthusiast) has opened up a path for me as a conservationist.
When I first started painting, I wanted to make sure my art had a purpose. I started donating a portion of my profits to animal charities. Selfishly, not only did this make me feel good, but it also stopped me from losing motivation or getting too pulled under by artist blocks. As my career grew and I became more engrossed in this world, I started to see first hand the issues that the natural world faced. I started donating more money to conservation charities, my artwork took more of an environmental/conservation-focused stance and I had the freedom to volunteer with wildlife in countries like Costa Rica for months at a time.
I am now an ambassador of the Jane Goodall Institute UK and Helping Rhinos, I am involved in several youth initiatives to encourage and inspire younger generations and I sit on several panels of judges for art competitions, which focus on conservation-themed art.
‘‘The Saddest Show on Earth’, is a metaphor for nature’s complete loss of dignity for our needs and entertainment.’
Sophie Green
Q: You have launched a collection of prints with K&M. Could you tell us about this collection?
A: The Commodities collection features some of the world’s most exploited and vulnerable creatures sitting solemnly on pedestals in front of a clinical white backdrop, like exhibits in a museum.
I drew inspiration from Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’, Rodin’s ‘Le Penseur’ and of course, from the wildlife that I have seen used on catwalks at fashion shows, in circuses, at the races, or even used as pets.
The centrepiece for the collection, an Asian elephant titled ‘The Saddest Show on Earth’, is a metaphor for nature’s complete loss of dignity for our needs and entertainment. The collection is not a celebration of nature, but wildlife ‘void of both wild and life’. The pieces are sad but beautiful.
‘Ultimately, my goal as an artist has always been (and will always be) to bring more attention to themes of the natural world, wildlife and conservation within contemporary art.’
Sophie Green
Q: What are your future goals in the work that you’re doing, and for the planet?
A: I already had the seed of an idea planted for my next collection about a year ago (which is usually the case when I’m in the middle of putting together a collection). After taking a little time to rest and recover from 2 years of painting a body of work and organising an exhibition, I think I will start to explore this new collection idea and develop my artistic skills needed for it.
Ultimately, my goal as an artist has always been (and will always be) to bring more attention to themes of the natural world, wildlife and conservation within contemporary art. These subjects are often overlooked in the mainstream art scene, and I want to show that they can be just as powerful, relevant, and thought-provoking as any other theme. Through my work, I hope to spark curiosity and conversation about our relationship with nature and the impact we have on it.
‘The Saddest Show on Earth’ opens at The Vaults, London 18–30 March 2025. Learn more
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