From rock climbing to art making

I started rock climbing about 10 years ago in China. I first climbed in the north of Beijing, and a few years later favoured Yangshuo in the south, where the rock is sharp like a knife. The height, the exposure, the wind and the contact of the rock has always appealed to me.

Climbing requires a lot of thinking, strategy, strength, balance, bravado, mutual support, perseverance. Experience has taught me that there is no room for ego. Not out there, not at a hundred meters high. When facing the mountains, you'd better be humble, and when you are not, it is punishing.

Being by the cliff is a bliss. A few days ago, I was in the Blue Mountains and the view up there was fascinating. The sky was high, the clouds floating peacefully over the trees top, their shadows gently drifting away. Spending the day in the bush made me feel whole.

I take these experiences back in my studio and from the mindfulness to the struggle and the satisfaction, it all comes out under my brush. Bush, mountains and rock formations are recurrent themes in my art. The natural elements also play a key role in my creative process. I use water, chalk, charcoal, ink and salt.

The landscapes I paint can be large, over 2m x 2.5m, some are small 20cm x 20cm. The size doesn't matter as such, what is important is the energy and emotions contained in the work. They are the recipients of my experience of the world, they are my

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Sofie