-, b. unknown

Sophie-Yen Bretez is a self-taught ar=st currently living and working in Paris. Originally from Vietnam, Bretez moved to France when she was 4 years old, providing her with a rich fusion of cultural heritage oDen reflected in her mul=faceted ar=s=c prac=ce. ADer comple=ng a master’s Grand École at Neoma Business School in Rouen, France in 2018. Bretez held mul=ple management posi=ons in the crea=ve industries throughout Paris. In 2021, Bretez decided to pursue her passion for art and began crea=ng full =me. Roo=ng her ar=s=c prac=ce in self-awareness Sophie-Yen Bretez is inspired by the freedom found in observing her own experiences and simultaneously transla=ng them into an enigma=c visual language. Striving to present an infinite dialogue between herself, the pain=ngs and the viewer, Bretez confronts themes of the human condi=on and the complexity of the emo=ons while exploring the rich plurality of her iden=ty as an adopted French Asian woman. Building upon her signature style of dream-like surrealist figura=on, Bretez’s works explore issues such as trauma, resilience, iden=ty, in=macy, sexuality and empowerment. Focusing on discovering ways in which to mirror the human condi=on in a state of recovery, Bretez oDen includes an illuminated horizon line sta=ng, “I paint horizons for those who have suffered.” By portraying her characters in semi-open spaces with a sunset or sunrise in the background, Bretez blurs the boundaries of the confined ‘safe’ space one builds for themselves in moments of weakness. Interested in challenging the tradi=onal male gaze Bretez u=lises reverse voyeurism to challenge our societal rela=onship with the naked female body. Unfaltering and strong, the women in Bretez’s pain=ngs look directly out at the spectator, serving to simultaneously create distance and prove they are not at the viewer's disposal rather they assert control of their own bodies. A natural storyteller Bretez begins each pain=ng with a poem linked to memory. Titling her works aDer these spontaneous and ins=nctual poems Bretez incorporates an addi=onal layer of dialogue between the work, the viewer, and herself.Tes=fying to the in=mate and the universal through substan=ve narra=ves, Bretez seeks to perpetuate a wider reflec=on of poli=cal, societal, and existen=al themes. Messages of hope and perseverance permeate.