Sophie Carrier

Born in 1967, Sophie Carrier is a Québec painter who lives and works in Montreal. Trained at the École des arts visuels et médiatiques at the Université du Québec à Montréal, Carrier has developed a distinctive visual language that moves fluidly between abstraction and figuration. Inspired by nature and the idea of the garden, Carrier creates lush, imaginative worlds where flowers, birds and botanical forms emerge from expressive fields of colour, translucent shapes, intricate patterns and sweeping gestural marks.

Carrier’s paintings evolve through a constant dialogue between chance and intention. Often working with the canvas laid flat on the floor, Carrier begins with a single element, perhaps a bird or a flower, and allows the composition to develop intuitively. Drawing, collage, realistically rendered imagery, poured polymer, broad brushwork and transparency accumulate in layers, while areas of exposed canvas reveal traces of the creative process and provide moments of stillness amid the abundance of colour and form.

Carrier’s many years as an elementary school art teacher have also deeply influenced the work. Inspired by the spontaneity, freedom and uninhibited imagination of children, Carrier brings a playful sense of discovery to compositions that are at once sophisticated and joyful. Richly layered and continually revealing, Carrier’s paintings invite the viewer into a vibrant world rooted in nature, colour, curiosity and a sense of wonder.