“A talk with the artists” is an article inspired by an interview at Radio Paradigma. Together with the contemporary artist Rafa Bilcor, from Santa Cruz, we talked about the upcoming cultural and artistic events. Especially, we mentioned also some interesting themes related to creativity and the artist’s role today.

If you like this article, I invite you to share it with your people, it can be a good starting point for a debate and a reflection.

The backstage: intro to the artists’ life of Rafa Bilcor and Sofy Syamhope

Bilcor and I have two very different lives which find in art a common point.

In fact, a part of art, Bilcor works in the construction, too. I find it important to mention because prejudices -towards others and ourselves- often make us think that certain jobs exclude art. Doesn’t sound familiar to you: “I’m a person of science, I don’t have anything to do with art nor with literature”?

Unlikely, creativity permits us to benefit from diverse skills and develop our own artistic language.

Paradigma Radio: “And that inspiration, where does it come from?”

Bilcor: “That inspiration comes from getting bored in the construction. In the end, I’m recycling material from there and since I have my own tools, I can work with them easily and freely. Well, I painted on tiles, I used them in the construction; now, I’m working with timber, I have specific pallets with some huge pieces: instead of throwing them, I directly recycle them. I think it’s a material too way good t throw it.”

 

Here, it comes up one of the common points in art: recycling, giving a new life, a second chance to materials instead of wasting them. Indeed, our last collaboration “Drog-Arte” (“Drug-Art”) is an example of how we make good use of recycled materials to make art.

Its name jokes with the Spanish word “Drug yourself”, containing both “drug” and “art” words.

Needs, travels, and creative freedom

Those who already know me are familiar with my definition of “traveling creative”. The reason is that I’m dedicated to art and I love traveling. This latter is something that I also bring to my art through diverse style and technique experimentation

Radio Paradigma: What are you giving a second chance to?

Syamhope: Well… For instance, I ended 2022 and started the New Year with a travel to Marocco. This travel ended in some way when I came back, here to Spain. Once back, I’ve kept working on it by adding pics from the travel, too. Now, in December I’m going to make it alive again through an art exhibition.

«BECOMING» Art exhibition of traveling illustration and photography.

República de Las Letras, Cordoba, Spain

December 2023 – January 2024

Radio Paradigma: About traveling, does it inspire you?

Syamhope: A lot, really a lot. Because traveling, better generally the attitude when traveling, as lifestyle, the attitude to be open to listening, get to now new people, diverse stuff, leave our comfort zone… All of this inspires me. For instance, even the fact of changing techniques or supports, trying to mix materials or recycling, I consider them all a sort of traveling, but inside of art. Generally, traveling has always given me a chance to grow.

Radio Paradigma: How did it born the need for traveling to discover other cultures, other people?

Syamhope: Maybe it originates from the need for knowing, and knowing more; also, being curious to create a connection with the other.

When speaking of creating, inspiration is always from listening to ourselves. If by my side this comes from traveling, Bilcor talks about a dialogue with the artwork, instead. Where creating comes from letting the art talk and ask.

When there’s the need to create communities is because a solution is necessary, No?

Sofia Syamhope: Also… But I think it should be the base among artists: to know each others but also to support one another. Due to the fact that art is often something very personal, it starts to be delicate to expose it and expose oneself; therefore if we don’t support each other or we don’t want to share it, consequently it will be hard to share it also with the public.

During the live program, we also talked about the artist’s need – and truly everyone’s need- for expressing what they’re feeling, even despite fear. For sure, here we’re speaking of something even more primary: a part of exhibiting art, and feeling more or less creative, we’re speaking of the shared need for expression and emotional freedom.

So, here comes a new question. Let’s have a look together:

Once you make it, and you exhibit it, does art still belong to you, or is it already of people?

Syamhope: What a question… Well, for example, the art exhibition I’m making in December is about a traveling sketchbook; and to me, this latter is the only thing I wish they never steal from me because it’s impossible to repeat it. To me, it’s very important and it scares me a lot to expose it, but at the same time, I’m too excited about sharing it. I don’t think it’s going to belong to people or me, but shared: if exhibited publicly, it doesn’t mean it isn’t mine anymore. Instead, it keeps developing and evolving. The reason is that another person could see or feel something different; it can build a dialogue around that artwork and, in this sense, it evolves.

Radio Paradigma: Do you share it?

Bilcor: Completely, also it is how you said about fear and what she said that people don’t exhibit due to fear. I’ve started to paint in 2013-14 and until 1 year and a half ago, nobody had seen a painting of mine in Cordova. I mean, I painted an incredible number of artworks under another sign that wasn’t «Bilcor» – and I swear you, when I say an incredible number, I’m talking about around 200 paintings. But, until I wasn’t 100% sure to defend my art openly, I never wanted to exhibit it.

[…]

It was due to uncertainty. Nowadays, those paintings I wasn’t sure about, I bring them all over around as much as I can. I’m super proud of them because they created the artistic character I am today.

Radio Paradigma: Then… That’s not… You?

Bilcor: Yes, yes, that’s me, what happens it’s that I’m a mutation, what remained of then, I’m the rest of what I was.

[…]

Radio Paradigma: And about you, is it a character or… is it you?

Syamhope: In some way I feel a character generally, meaning that compared to being normal, let’s talk about it, what does it mean normal?

“A Talk with the Artists” reaches its end in this way: with this reflection and many cultural and art events coming soon.

Thanks to Paradigma Radio and Rafa Bilcor for this amazing experience!

SEE THE NEXT ART EVENTS

Or leave a comment below

DISCOVER IT HERE!

There are always lots of events, here I’ve gathered together the past ones. You’ll find the art exhibitions and cultural events in 2023 where I had been and collaborated.

Also, I remember you thank you can you contact me for any further information, let me know!

“Becoming” Personal Art Exhibition, Travel illustrations and photography

2nd December 2023 – 10th January 2024, República de Las Letras, Cordoba

Don’t miss the latest updates, follow me on socials

Past Exhibitions and Cultural Events 2023

“Naturaleza Ponzoñosa” Collective Art Exhibition

6th October – 1st November 2023, Hotel Averroes, Córdoba

For this exhibition I’ve decided to get out of my comfort zone and present a tridimensional artwork: “The Search”. It’s a mobile created thanks to upcycled materials and it’s completely based on finding the balance.

“Caprichos” Collective Art Exhibition

1st – 29th October 2023, Historical Botanical Garden La Concepción, Malaga

In this edition, you’ll find three of Syamhope’s artworks. Besides they really differ from each other, they are all connected by a red wire: the relationship between humans and the environment.

XII Concurso de Pintura Rápida al Aire Libre de Ubrique

“Pedro Lobato Hoyos”

September 2023 – Sofia Candeo (Syamhope) receives the 17th prize

Proyecto 5 Art Gallery

Tribute to Pedro Lobato Hoyos, Ayuna Kanatkalieva’s art exhibition inauguration, and La Casa Azul live performance

«CADA 1 TIENE SU CAMINO»

Starting from the 19th of July – Artists call: Escaparates con Orgullo 2023, Cordoba, Spain

Syamhope paints at Pinsapo, a Cordobese flower shop

Freedom, Respect, Dignity

are the essence of

any relationship

FADAC
Art and Culture Fair of Andalusia

See the PROGRAM in the official page

Syamhope performs a live drawing improvisation inspired by the music of Yeska, Adrián Phoenix and True Trinchers.

Moreover, Syamhope collaborates as Project Manager of the La Casa Azul Association’s stand

Discover more on the website of the La Casa Azul Association:

Primer Encuentro Andaluz de Jóvenes Artistas y Emprendedores del Sector Artístico-Cultural de Córdoba y Andalucía

COLLABORATION SYAMHOPE-BILCOR: “DROG-ARTE”

31st March – 28th April 2023, Ostin Macho, Córdoba, Spain

Bilcor presents his original “OM” collection dedicated to the Ostin Macho shop in Córdoba, Spain. Syamhope exhibits in collaboration with Bilcor: the collection they present is “Drog-Arte”, (“Drug-Art”), one of the two artworks of this collab has the honor to be the cover of the art exhibition.

THE HOLY ART FAIR

30th March – 2nd April 2023, The OXO Tower, London, UK

30th March 2023: Opening Reception, 6:00-9:00 pm

Syamhope presents her project “Beyond the paper“.

This latter is the result of social-linguistic research through the mediums of photography and digital art.

AÑO SINTÉTICO – Collective Exhibition: painting and poetry

24th February 2023, Hotel Averroes, Cordova, Spain

The exhibition “Año Síntetico” arrives also in Córdoba!

Syamhope collaborates with the cover illustration for the calendar 2023 made by the Síntesis Association

SYAMHOPE – Personal Exhibition

Inauguration: 4th February 2023 at 19h00
Pl. Prta del Rincón, 7, 14001 Córdoba

“MOMENTOS”

Collective Exhibition: painting and poetry

January – February 2023, Hotel Averroes, Cordova, Spain

AÑO SINTÉTICO – Collective Exhibition: painting and poetry

3 December – 4 January, Centro Cultural Antonio Carpio, Montilla, Spain

Syamhope collaborates with the cover illustration for the calendar 2023 made by the Síntesis Association

Get your Calendar 2023

Unique illustrations and poetries made by artists

Book here

Where else did Syamhope Art travel to?

Discover the past

ART EXHIBITIONS AND CULTURAL EVENTS 2022

Be in the present

ART EXHIBITIONS AND CULTURAL EVENTS 2024

Here’s the official invitation for the opening, the exhibition is remaining the whole month.

About the exhibition

“Becoming” is an illustration and photography exhibition. I realized all Its artworks during my first travel to Morocco. That travel has somehow changed me in a way I can’t describe through words, but through art, through my travel sketchbook.

“Becoming”. I chose this word because it talks about movement.

We all come from a placeーour roots, our past, we pass through anotherーour present, and we leaveーour future.

Inside of this movement, that’s life, we can give ourselves the great opportunity of traveling; which permits us to know ourselves and the other. When I speak of the other, I mean someone different from us, who’s sharing this earth and living this epoch, but who’s doing it through a different filter, a different way of living. Our environment affects our convictions, our experience shapes our idea of freedom or possibility. Thus, a travel can not only bring us out of our reality, but give us the chance to change, too; as long as we are willing to open our eyes and question ourselves.

With this exhibition, for the first time, I’m sharing publicly my travel sketchbook, my way of filtering the reality and traveling. With this exhibition, “Becoming”, I close this year that started in Morocco and follows with art.

About me

I’m Sofia, in art Syamhope. I’m a traveler creative and a professional artist. I work with several styles and techniques related to the illustration, painting and comic field. I develop artistic projects focusing on the social-cultural aspects thanks to my formation and interest in the human sciences and linguistic mediation.

I decided to apply as well among the painters and Urban Sketchers, choosing the rapid painting category.

By my side, it was interesting taking part in this initiative to try the experience of painting in a cemetery. Otherwise, I might never thought about it.

Infact, to me is quite intense to visit this kind of place; even so, many think about cemeteries as peaceful sites, where you can meet yourself and others, too. In general, it could represent a moment dedicated to thinking of and celebrating life.

And you? If you had the chance to paint in a cemetery, would you take it?

Painting in progress details

As you can guess from these images, the place I chose to paint, differs from the representation of the cemetery view, preferring a symbolic landscape:

the olive tree, a metaphor for life that shades until reaching the sky.

Moreover, the palette I used has blue-green tones creating some points of orange contrasts. In this way, I could talk not just about the place, but transmit the emotions it was sharing, too.

The selected paintings were made by artists such as Jaime Jurado and Pedro Orozco, as well as Camilo Huéscar, Miguel Repollés, Dolores García, and Fernando Angulo. Anyway, the other artworks also remain available to organize a collective art exhibition by the Town Hall of Córdoba and Cecosam (the Cordobese public funeral agency).

As soon as I receive more information about it, I’ll share it on my socials.

Follow the news, check my pages here:

And if you’ve arrived here, thank you very much! I’ll take also the chance to share with you what resulted in my painting.

I have to say that by my side it has been a particular and worthy experience, great especially to express art and reflect on life, too.

Rapid Painting Contest

“Life”, Sofia Syamhope | Oil painting on canva, 80×60 cm

If you’re looking for more info or want an original creation, reach me out here:

The Bubble of Indifference (in Italian “La Bolla dell’Indifferenza”) is an oil painting that took part in the XIII Combat Prize Edition.

It describes the contemporary presence of two opposite situations: conflict and peace. It specifically highlights the feeling of living in a world based on appearance and comfort, yet extremely fragile at the same time; as a soap bubble, it could burst suddenly. In this daily routine, it is important to live every moment, war and brutality might be perceived with indifference, as they were happening far away from us, almost not possible.

On the contrary, outside of this comfort zone, there’s also a different reality: a world where people have to face the loss of their certainty and the destruction of their security; where the social and material contest bursts leading to solitude and neglect.