Sophie Chao is an artist based between Pittsburgh and Baltimore
Through her present body of work she examines her evolving relationship with American media. Sophie reimagines and deconstructs cultural icons, exploring the complex dynamics between media consumption and personal identity.
Using collage, hand stitching, and oil paint, Sophie recontextualizes male-dominated, consumerist imagery, challenging sensationalized representations of power and gender. Many of the pop culture symbols she engages with are rooted in the glorification of male violence and the trivialization of Asian femininity. This tension between celebration and critique lies at the heart of her artistic practice. By recontextualizing these saturated images, she transforms them into a form of self-portraiture, creating a new meaning for these icons.
By bringing commercially pervasive images into the fine arts space and reimagining them with traditional craft techniques, Sophie critiques their significance outside the realm of media. Her work reflects on the intersections of culture and identity, ego and media, gender and warfare, craft and consumerism—all within the context of a Westernized world.
