Sonia Dias de Souza
1964, Nice - France. Lives and works in São Paulo, Brazil

Visual artist, she lives and works in São Paulo. Her work develops through the creation of images presented in installations and videos carried out both in nature and in the urban environment. Photography is used as the medium for this expression.
‍
Her poetics engage with a subjective vision of our existence as part and phenomenon of the complex structure that sustains the great mystery of life. Her focus is on human beings seen from the place they occupy within the vital network of the Planet or in the face of the contingencies and conflicts of their life in contemporary society.
‍
She holds a Law degree from USP and studied at the Escola Panamericana de Artes in 2015. She took part in the group of Continuous Studies on Image and Contemporary Art, directed by Carlos Fajardo and Fabiana Bruno, as well as the Advanced Photography Studies group with Eder Chiodetto. She studied sculpture at MUBE with Israel Kirlansky. She has experience with contact with diverse materials.
‍
In 2021, the artist held the solo exhibition “Radical”, curated by Agnaldo Farias, at the MON – Museu Oscar Niemeyer. In addition, she was awarded the FUNARTE RespirArte prize and the 3rd International Chelsea Photography Prize in New York. The artist is featured in the book História da Fotografia Autoral e a Pintura Moderna by Cláudio Edinger; in 2019 she participated in APhF:19 – Athens Photo Festival, LACDA Top 40 – California and ESPY Photo Festival in Wales. In 2018, she was selected for the 9th Salão de Artistas Sem Galeria. She has exhibited at numerous institutions and events, including Centro Universitário Maria Antônia-USP, Centro Brasileiro Britânico in São Paulo, the fairs SP-Arte and SP-Arte/Foto, 46th Salão de Arte Contemporânea Luiz Sacilotto, 25th Salão Curitibano de Artes Visuais, 26th Salão de Artes Plásticas de Praia Grande, 50th SAC at Pinacoteca de Piracicaba, and 17th Salão de Arte Contemporânea de Jataí, MAC-Goiás. In 2017, she received the Acquisition Prize at the 49th SAC at Pinacoteca de Piracicaba, participated in the Prêmio Nacional de Fotografia Pierre Verger at MARP – Museu de Arte de Ribeirão Preto and also took part in the exhibition “Quimeras, Apólogos e Algumas Fábulas”, curated by Eder Chiodetto at DOC Galeria.

EDUCATION
‍
2018 – Sculpture: Human Body Modeling. MUBE, Museu Brasileiro da Escultura e Ecologia
‍
2015-18 – Advanced Photography Studies Group, Eder Chiodetto & Fabiana Bruno, Ateliê Fotô
‍
2017 – “Inquietudes” Programme, Residency for Project Development, Instituto Tomie Ohtake
‍
2016/17 – Contemporary Art Studies Group, with Agnaldo Farias
‍
2016 – Studies & Creation in Photography, with Armando Prado
‍
2015 – Image Study & Visual Reasoning Development, with Carlos Fajardo
‍
2015 – Photography with artist Cláudio Edinger, India
‍
2010 – “Luz Marginal Procura Corpo Vago”, with Gal Oppido, MAM-SP
‍
2010 – Photography, Escola Panamericana, São Paulo-SP
‍
1988 – Graduated in Law, Largo São Francisco, USP

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
‍
2024 – Da Terra que Somos, curated by Agnaldo Farias – MUN Museu Nacional da República, Brasília-DF
‍
2021 – Radical, curated by Agnaldo Farias – MON Museu Oscar Niemeyer, Curitiba-PR
‍

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2025:

– “Women Artists: Collection in Expansion”, MUN Museu Nacional da República, Brasília-DF

2024:

– “Entre Realidades”, curated by Cláudio Edinger – Galeria Arte Formatto, São Paulo-SP

2023:

– Prêmio Barueri de Artes Visuais, Complexo Cultural Praça das Artes, Barueri-SP

– CompartiArte, Centro Brasileiro Britânico, São Paulo-SP

2022:

– “Curva Ponto”, MACS-Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Sorocaba – SP
‍
2021:
‍
– ITSLIQUID International Art Fair, The Room Gallery, Venice – Italy
‍
– “Perceiving Landscapes”, KORAI Project Space, Nicosia – Cyprus

2020:
‍‍
- Funarte “RespiarArte” Award - Online.

- 3rd Chelsea Photography International Award - Agora Gallery, New York - USA.

- “25o. Salão de Artes de Vinhedo” (25th Vinhedo Arts Hall) - Vinhedo-SP

2019:
‍‍
- APhF:19 Athens Photo Festival - Benaki Museum, Athens - Greece.

- LACDA Top 40 - Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, Los Angeles -USA.

- ESPY Photo Award, Elysium Gallery, Swansea - Wales, UK.

- “Quadrantes IV” (Quadrants IV). Décimo Gallery, Annex IV, “Câmara dos Deputados” (Parliament), Brasília - GO.

- Photography in the Hall, Lâminas Space. Sao Paulo - SP.

- “21a. Mostra Cascavelense de Artes Plásticas” (21st “Cascavelense” Show of Plastic Arts), Cascavel - PR

2018:
‍‍
- Exposição do Festival Zum. Instituto Moreira Salles, São Paulo - SP
‍
- 50o. SAC, Salão de Arte da Pinacoteca de Piracicaba - SP
‍
- 25o. Salão de Artes Plásticas de Praia Grande, Complexo Cultural Palácio das Artes, Praia Grande - SP
‍
- 25o. Salão Curitibano de Artes Visuais. Curitiba -PR
‍
- Compartiarte, Centro Brasileiro Britânico. São Paulo-SP
‍
- 17o. Salão de Arte Contemporânea de Jataí, MAC – Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Jataí, Jataí- GO
‍
- 46o. Salão de Arte Contemporânea Luiz Sacilotto – Paço Municipal, Santo André-SP
‍
- SP-Arte Foto - Ateliê Fotô - Shopping Jk Iguatemi - São Paulo - SP
‍
- Exposição Coletiva Arte / Formatto, São Paulo - SP
‍
- Trocas Contemporâneas – Centro Universitário Maria Antônia-USP, São Paulo-SP
‍
- 9o. Salão dos artistas sem galeria, Galeria Zípper, São Paulo-SP

2017:
‍‍
- 49th SAC - “Salão de Arte Contemporânea da Pinacoteca de Piracicaba” (Hall of Art of Piracicaba Art Gallery) - SP.

- “Mostra do Prêmio Nacional de Fotografia Pierre Verger” (Exhibition of the Pierre Verger National Photography Award), “Palacete das Artes” (Arts Palace), Salvador - BA.

- “Selecionados MARP” (MARP Selection) - “Museu de Arte de Ribeirão Preto” (Ribeirão Preto Museum of Art), Ribeirão Preto - SP.

- “Quimeras, Apólogos e Algumas Fábulas” (Chimeras, Apologists and some fables), by Eder Chiodetto, DOC Gallery, São Paulo - SP.

- “Coletivo Paralelo” (Parallel Collective), Euroarte Gallery, São Paulo - SP.

2016:
‍‍
- “Mostra Arte Formatto”, (Formatto Arts Exhibition), Caribé Gallery, São Paulo - SP.

- Participação da SP-Foto e SP-Arte (Participation in SP-Photo and SP-Art), Room8 Gallery, São Paulo - SP.

PRIZES
‍‍
2020 – FUNARTE RespirArte Prize
‍
2018 – Acquisition Prize, 25th Salão de Artes Plásticas de Praia Grande, Palácio das Artes, Praia Grande-SP

2017 – Acquisition Prize, 49th SAC, Salão de Arte Contemporânea da Pinacoteca de Piracicaba
‍
2017 – Portfolio Reading Prize, 49th SAC, Salão de Arte Contemporânea da Pinacoteca de Piracicaba

COLLECTIONS

MON – Museu Oscar Niemeyer, Curitiba-PR
Câmara dos Deputados, Brasília-DF
Palácio das Artes, Praia Grande-SP
Pinacoteca de Piracicaba, Piracicaba-SP