Sonia Bermudez lives immersed in a very personal universe when referring to her artistic creation, narrating a pictorial language filled with a very special vision of the cosmos of life, mixing fantasy and magic, thus so, avoiding fleeting fashionable influences. These traits and references to this fantastical world are deeply rooted, not only in her work, whether in her paintings, textile art or murals - embedded with neon lights that give a soft almost translucent sheen and dreamy textures to her compositions - but also within her everyday way of living and thinking.
Different universes inhabit her creations, from subaquatic worlds where everything is possible, to innocent children’s games, to the worlds of aromas and sublime essences. A journey to an imaginary submarine environment with undefined shapes, only outlines, a pathway to innocence, illusion and hope, or a passageway to a meditative state, to kundalini, the feminine energy, that through the body’s points of physical or spiritual energy lead to experience and enlightenment.
In her latest body of work allusions to these natural phenomenon and marvels are present: mother earth, moon, water, realities and dreams that create a new world. Love is incredibly eminent throughout her creations, as is Earth’s natural satellite, the Moon.
Art, murals and neon installations, textile compositions this is the work she has created during the last years of her artistic evolution, developing a pictorial expression, filled with transparencies and veilings, that have become her signature language.
In this latest body of work the artist recuperates different pieces of fabrics, cotton tarlatan, organza and silks, that she mixes with rice paper, foam, plastic grids and propylene that she laser cuts into geometric shapes.
Her fascination for the different fabrics comes from her childhood days when she used to observe her mother design beautiful couture clothes for Lima’s high society women during the 60’s through to the 90’s. The use of modern materials such as plastic grids, flex and foam she has integrated into her artwork in these last years, comes from a desire to recuperate and upcycle and give these mediums a second life.
Her oeuvre, off the beaten track, is unclassifiable, many times impossible to capture. For a long time now, she has chosen to follow an unknown path leading up to the unfamiliar, always moving away from the rigid and purely academic.
“SON TEMPERAMENT GENEREUX GENERE UNE ACTIVITE GRAPHIQUE PERMANENTE, QUI OSE PRENDRE DES RISQUES ET POSSEDE DES DONS DE COLORISTE D’UNE CAPACITE EXCEPCIONNELLE “
MONTSÉ CAMPRUBI
Sonia Bermúdez studied for 4 years at the famous home-workshop of Cristina Galvez, a founding figure of modern sculpture in Peru (Lima 1916 - 1982), who taught many students who are now renowned artists.
She continues her training with a course in watercolor technique and water technique with the Peruvian artist Juan Pastorelli, painter, engraver and self-taught water colourist, author of the great and famous mural of the University of Lima.
A few years later, Sonia Bermúdez moved permanently to Barcelona and opened her own painting and decoration workshop.
Sonia Bermudez began exhibiting at Gallery 715 in Lima in 1981.
From 1982 onwards, a series of solo exhibitions followed in Spain, France, the USA and Latin America. In 1986 she began her activity as a muralist, creating the Crisalida workshop.
During a period of 7 years from 2000, 2004 to 2008 she carried out a series of 3 mural projects at the Casa Batlló in Barcelona.
She also works in different public spaces, hotels, restaurants, and private homes around the world, in Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Poland and the USA.
Individual exhibitions
- 1981 GALERIA 715, LIMA, PERU
- 1982 SALA BELTRAN, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 1982 MAISON DE L’AMERIQUE LATINE, PARIS, FRANCE
- 1987 SALA SAVOY, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 1989 SALA D’EXPOSICIONS LA CAIXA, BADALONA, SPAIN
- 1990 PISCOLABIS, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 1990 ESPAI XIMENA GODOY, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 1991JAVA ART GALLERY, LOS ANGELES, USA
- 1991 GALERIA CYPRUS, SANT FELIU DE BOADA, GIRONA, SPAIN
- 1992 GALERIA LE CENT, PARIS, FRANCE
- 1993 GALERIA LIBERTADORES, LIMA, PERU
- 1993 SALA MACAO “DESDE EL INTERIOR” BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 1994 GALERIA L’ESCALE, ESPACE D’ART CONTEMPORAIN, BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- 1996 SALA SENACHERIBO, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 1999 GALERIA PRINCIPAL MONTCADA, “MANADAS”, EL AMOR DEBAJO DEL AGUA, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 2000 FABIO PARIS ART GALLERY, “MI AMA NON MI AMA” BRESCIA, ITALY
- 2000 CARMEN TORRALLARDONA GALERIA D’ART, ANDORRA LA VELLA, PRINCIPALITY OF ANDORRA
- 2002 GALERIA ALICIA VENTURA “VA LLEGANDO LA HORA”, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 2005 CARMEN TORRALLARDONA GALERIA D’ART, “SABER, SABOR A OLOR”, ANDORRA LA VELLA, PRINCIPALITY OF ANDORRA
- 2006 GALERIA KNUD HARTUNG, MUNICH, GERMANY
- 2007 GALERIA KNUD HARTUNG, MUNICH, GERMANY
- 2014 KNUD HARTUNG, MUNICH, GERMANY
- 2014 “LA REGION MAS TRANSPARENTE DEL ARTE”, MUSEO DE OSMA, ESCRIT ALFREDO BRYCE ECHENIQUE
Collective exhibitions
- 1981 GALERIA 715, LIMA, PERU
- 1981 GALERIA BORCAS, LIMA, PERU
- 1982 EXPOSICIO AMNISTIA INTERNACIONAL, MADRID, SPAIN
- 1983 ESPACE LATINO- AMERICAIN, PARIS, FRANCE
- 1983 XXII PREMI INTERNACIONAL, FUNDACIO MIRO, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 1986 I BIENNAL, PAMPLONA, SPAIN
- 1986 CONCURS INTERNACIONAL, BEGUR, SPAIN
- 1986 IL.LUSTRACIÓ DEL LLIBRE “GOIG” DE ALFREDO BRYCE ECHENIQUE
- 1988 CALIGRAFIA XINA, DANCES D’ARREU DEL MON, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 1990 ESPACIO XIMENA GODOY, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 1991JAVA ART GALLERY, LOS ANGELES, EEUU
- 1991 CYPRUS ART, GIRONA, SPAIN
- 1996 HOMMAGE AUX 20 ARTISTES DE L’ESCALE, BRUXELLES, BELGIUM
- 1999 COL.LECTIVA ESPAI Y FORMA, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 1999 NEW ART, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 2000 GALERIA PRINCIPAL MONTCADA, NEW ART 2000, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 2000 GALERIA MORIARTY, ARCO 2000, MADRID, SPAIN
- 2001 CARMEN TORRALLARDONA GALERIA D’ART, ANDORRA LA VELLA, PRINCIPALITY OF ANDORRA
- 2003 “EROTISMES” GALERIA ANTONIO DE BARNOLA, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 2005 IL.LUSTRACIÓ DEL LLIBRE “MUJERES”, FUNDACIO ONCE, 10 IL.LUSTRACIONS DE 10 ESCRIPTORS,PROLEG DEL PRESIDENT RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO
- 2009 COL.LECTIVA DE MUNICH, GERMANY
- 2009 ORPHANAGE AFRICA, “CREANDO FUTUROS” SEDE DEL FAD, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 2010 PARTICIPA AL “INCA BALL AUCTION”, AL ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, LONDON, ENGLAND
- 2011 LA CASA DELS XUCLIS, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 2012 MUNICH CREATIVE BUSINESS WEEK, GERMANY
Mural work in public spaces
- 1997 HOTEL TAURUS, PINEDA DE MAR, TARRAGONA, SPAIN
- 1998 MURAL FOR GPOLAND ITALIAN MULTIBRAND FASHION GROUP, VARSOVIA, POLAND
- 2000 CASA ATMELLER, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 2000 CASA BATLLÓ, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 2002 GOLDEN HOTELS TOSSA DE MAR, SPAIN
- 2002 PROJECTE UMBAU UND SANIERUNG, MUNICH, GERMANY
- 2004 CASA BATLLÓ, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 2005 HOTEL BERGARA, CATALONIA HOTELS, SPAIN
- 2005 CATALONIA HOTELS HEADQUARTERS, SPAIN
- 2008 CASA BATLLÓ, BARCELONA, SPAIN
- 2011 AMBAIXADA DE PERU A KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
- 2011 MURAL “LA ETERNITAT” ESCALDES ENGORDANY, PRINCIPALITY OF ANDORRA
- 2016 MURAL FOR GPOLAND ITALIAN MULTIBRAND FASHION GROUP, VARSOVIA, POLAND
- 2018 MURAL FOR GPOLAND ITALIAN MULTIBRAND FASHION GROUP, VARSOVIA, POLAND
