The Colorful World of Hey Sosi

 

Dear Andy Warhol’s Diary,

I know you’re not accepting submissions anymore, especially not ones written on the internet by strangers and not submitted over the phone, but I have to tell you about the lovely work of Sofia Schizas, who works under the nom de paintbrush Hey Sosi. I came across her work on the site/app/cool-kidz-club Tictail and was immediately in love. Her prints are playful, illustrative, and filled with color. They somehow manage to be both completely silly and sophisticated at the same time. Originally from Cyprus, Schizas lives and works in Barcelona.

Which brings me to the fact that we NEED to talk about Barcelona. I went there last year and it’s maybe my favorite place ever. You might remember my studio tour with the guys behind Goula Figuera, whose amazing work definitely speaks the same language as Hey Sosi. Barcelona seems to be a creative hub for artists doing unique, innovative work and Shizas definitely fits into that. I think I want to move there. TODAY.

A painter and sculpter, Schizas has an active practice in her painting studio in addition to her work at Hey Sosi. Hey Sosi is a way for her to take her incredible aesthetic and make it available in editions, which are much more affordable than originals. I love this for so many reasons. Number one, clearly, it’s always great to find a new resource for amazing art. Two, as someone with multiple art degrees, I love seeing artists run their own businesses and making a living off their work. Three, editions allow people who traditionally might not have been able to afford art to participate in collecting. LITERALLY EVERYONE WINS. Below are a selection of my favorite of Schizas’ works, many of which are available (buy them IMMEDIATELY).

Dove (I’m def buying this one)

Portrait Series B

Sofia Schizas at work in her studio.

Grid & Shapes #1 | Parallax Panorama

Koh & Nur

Nisi | Kambos

Couples #2

Portrait Series A (see below)

When I saw Portrait Series A, it immediately reminded me of Jean Cocteau, whose beautiful continuous line drawings have always captivated me. I hung these over my bed at Orcondo and have brought them to Chateaulando and hung them in the same spot. I’m still kind of figuring out art placement. But you know what else I’m figuring out? LITERALLY MY WHOLE LIFE. Thank god I have these cute faces to wake up to every morning or I’d jump on a sword. THANK YOU, SOFIA SCHIZAS/HEY SOSI!

Love,
Orlando