Francisca Sosa Lopez graduated with a MFA in Fine Art from the Slade in 2020. Her artwork, persianas, was selected as one of the inaugural UCL East Provost Art Prize winners in 2020. 

Practice

“Slade has a very flexible programme which lets you, as an artist, develop your practice in a more organic way. I had always been interested in referencing my country through my work, but hadn’t found the proper approach nor had I thought what exact aspect I wanted to talk about. Once in the Slade I decided to start over, while I found my way and developed my own language, I changed from making oil portraits to just drawing lines for an entire year and that way I sort of found my voice.

When I paint or I am being creative, I try to channel home by listening to music or talking with my family, or painting with my eyes closed, I try to dance with the brush (in a way) and rely on instinct.”

Artwork

“I made the work chosen for UCL East during the pandemic. I had been thinking of creating my own surfaces to make my practice more sustainable... but was forced to take action when the first lockdown hit and I had nowhere to paint. Additionally, I had already been thinking about the concept of “reconstruction” and had been exploring the idea of how to make something beautiful from trash. In a way, I believe I am practicing for when (if) things change back home, we will have to pick up the debris and rebuild Venezuela.”

Francisca Sosa Lopez

Website: franciscasosalopez.com