Sophie Lloyd's Sugar Extravaganza at WOVEN
Stepping into Sophie's Sarabande Studio, you might just strike your sweet tooth. The air is thick with the intoxicating scent of sugar, as Sophie masterfully crafts her characters, each one a made from a juxtaposition of sugar and lead.
Not long after we announced that Sophie had joined the Sarabande community as an artist-in-residence, we commissioned her to create 6 special sculptures for our 2023 Fundraiser: Woven. In this exclusive feature, we dived into the commissioned pieces and Sophie's practice as a whole:
The sugar pour, as she describes it, is akin to an episode of a drama. In costume, adorned with rubber gloves and oversized goggles, Sophie describes the process as similar to a theatrical performance. It's a dance of elements—sugar, a symbol of sweetness and indulgence, juxtaposed with poisons lead.
Sophie created sculptures of some of our guests; Marina Abramović, Sandy Powell, Yinka Ilori, Camilla Lowther, Giles Deacon and Daniel Roseberry, which were then placed on the tables amongst some of her other works.
Later in the evening, the commissioned sculptures were then part of a classic Sarabande style auction.
Woven was an evening of culture, food and festivities raising funds for the Foundation, bringing attention to the brilliant diversity of artists and designers supported by the charity. It was hosted at the hotel’s stunning 10th floor restaurant Decimo, with designer and long-standing friend of Sarabande, Giles Deacon as host.
Our artists are strong individually, but when they support each other or collaborate, their energy is unrivalled. Sarabande Artists also attended WOVEN, including Rosie Gibbens, Daniel Roseberry, Michael Stewart Dunne, Paolo Carzana, Sam Rock, Izaak Brandt.
Commissions are so important at Sarabande, they allow artists to explore avenues that may have not been possible before.