For Identity and Dress, running until January 8, Ploeg has clothed her contemporary sitters in historically inspired costumes to create highly detailed, luscious portraits.
She explains: “I like to use painted fabrics to point you to the past - our past - and show you a bit of the beauty of our history. Historical fashion and fabrics are tools to dive into a fantasy world with some very strong links to current modern taste and historical facts. I can pick and choose from the past and try to create images that are beautiful, a touch mysterious, recognisable or even contemporary.”
See www.harleygallery.co.uk/exhibition/identityanddress for more.
Sophie Ploeg was the winner of the 2013 BP Portrait Travel Award. With the award she created a series of new paintings, which will be shown in addition to her new work for The Harley Gallery. See www.sophieploeg.com