Born in Austin, TX, Sophia Tames is a 15-year-old artist who has exhibited across Texas, and Washington D.C. She grew up between cultures, spending summers abroad and studying art at institutions such as Les Tapies. As a first generation Mexican-Nicaraguan,...
Read MoreBorn in Austin, TX, Sophia Tames is a 15-year-old artist who has exhibited across Texas, and Washington D.C. She grew up between cultures, spending summers abroad and studying art at institutions such as Les Tapies. As a first generation Mexican-Nicaraguan, Sophia holds a deep connection to her heritage, which is expressed in her art.
Her work speaks to those who don’t feel tethered to one place or person. Her series Modern Nomads; a recipient of VASE and Scholastic Art Awards, is an exploration of the quiet joy sparked by fleeting human interactions. From strangers chatting on the street to students at summer camp, the subjects share one thread; the beauty of temporary connection. The pieces suggest that joy is often found in moments unburdened by context, that is, when we know little about the other, and it doesn’t matter. The interaction itself is enough. As long as people exist, so will contentment.
This optimism was born from Sophia's family ties and activism. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sophia was deeply affected by the political crisis in Nicaragua. Her family was extremely involved in political activism, and eventually captured. Once aspiring to become a politician herself, she lost faith in institutions. It was during a family trip, where Modern Nomads began, that she came to a realization: it wasn’t a love of systems that fueled her passion for art or politics, but a love of interacting with the people within them.
