Meet Sophia Wolfe | Artist, animator, filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sophia Wolfe and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sophia, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Thanks for having me again, Voyage LA! I’m always excited to participate in your articles.

I would not say this is necessarily great advice, but it is the truth about me: My life is my work. Of course, I am an artist, so work means thinking, writing, sketching, singing – expressing my love for life and art in every way my body can. A palm reader would find on my dominant hand that my “love line” and “work line” are actually conjoined into one, single line. I am a single, young woman with no pressing commitments to anything or anyone. This will not last forever. So, for as long as I can, I will be prioritizing my relationship with my art above all else.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I enjoy blending fine arts, animation, filmmaking, and live events. I make drawings, sculptures, and installations that pair with my movies, which include live action and experimental animation. My work is metaphysical and self-referential, inspired by the geometry and structures of our reality.

My current project is Fantastical Revelations of Art, Math, and Romance, a 10-minute film about two-dimensional beings discussing their theories on the hypothetical third dimension. It is inspired by Flatland, an 1884 novel by Edwin A. Abbot about a society of two-dimensional shapes. While my project retains the foundational concept, it diverges significantly from the source material. My narrative is a deeply personal exploration of my own fantasies, with the addition of mathematical concepts that were undiscovered at the time of Abbott’s writing.

This project particularly excites me because I am using paper-puppet stop-motion animation to represent the second-dimensional realm. By physically manipulating flat assets, the materiality parallels the concept, and I can get a deeper understanding of how a two-dimensional world might function.

In the spirit of gratitude, I must acknowledge that complex projects like these could not happen without the creativity, passion, and commitment of my friends and family. A year of preparation and a small crew of very adventurous and talented people were required to create the final 15 seconds (yes—just one 15 second segment) of the film. Christopher Powers, Samantha Smart, Chancee Phensuk, Jesse Bradman, Isabella O’Brien, Yvonne Boyiazis, Carolina Thompson, Malayna Busik, Joshua Garcia, and Ethan Brown—I’m lookin’ at you. And, of course, can’t forget the wonderful voice and performance artists, Katherine De Leiros, Dominic Hart, China Rose, and David Warden.

I have just graduated from California State University, Northridge, and I am preparing to begin my graduate studies at University of Southern California in their Expanded Animation program. I am still in the very beginning of my artistic career. Though, I am very proud of myself for how many ideas I have managed to explore at such a young age. It really is just a matter of listening to my deepest desires, trusting my vision and abilities, and making my ideas a reality at all costs.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My ideal itinerary: Get breakfast and tea at R Cafe in Northridge, owned by my dear friend Evelyn Melgoza. Gallery hop at the Los Angeles Arts District. Visit the gallery Leimen Space, owned by the incredible artist Schelsey Mahammadie-Sabet. See a puppet show Bob Baker Marionette Theater. Jim Henson, too. Check out the Museum of Jurassic Technology. Explore the Malibu State Creek Park. See an experimental movie and peruse the esoteric bookshop at Philosophical Research Society. Dinner, a burger with a side of sushi (underexplored combination), at King’s Burger Got Sushi?. End the night bar hopping at the NoHo Arts District.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to take this opportunity to thank my parents, who have been brave in supporting my decision to pursue the arts professionally. It’s scary to non-artists, I get it! It is a risk for me to ignore the traditional pathways to success and put every morsel of my being into my artistic endeavors. They recognized my passion early on. As a child, my mother immediately supported my artistic inclinations and enrolled me in art classes starting at three years old. I felt completely seen and understood throughout my entire upbringing. That is a rarity, and something I am extraordinarily grateful for.

My parents are great inspirations… they are professional adventurers! My father began his journey as a bareback rider in pro rodeo, transitioned into a career in law enforcement where he spearheaded the department’s rodeo show and scuba diving team, and now works as a corporate pilot. Land, ocean, and sky—all in one lifetime. My mother, an avid traveler and former city planner, reinvented herself in recent years as a flight attendant after raising me. They are experts at crafting the life they want to live in a practical manner, and as a daydreamy and ambitious creative, this mindset is an essential influence.

The staff and faculty at California State University Northridge has become akin to an extended family for me, so I’d like to thank them as well. I am incredibly fortunate to have received a fantastic foundation for being an artist in Los Angeles. There, I became part of graduate-level conversations and had the opportunity to work with some of my all-time favorite contemporary artists.

Website: https://sophiawolfestudio.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sophiawolfestudio

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/sophiawolfestudio/

Twitter: https://x.com/sophiawolfeart?s=21&t=P9QaFWD5Tbxi5rlJdRroUA

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPKno9ohKAp8iBSksTg0dyQ

Other: https://sophiawolfestudio.com/fantastical-revelations

Image Credits
Christopher Powers (DP), China Rose, David Warden