This Sunday, May 7th, renowned independent artist Sophie Tea, will release her first-ever luxury art book ‘SEND NUDES’. Entirely self-published and self-funded, the book comprises eight intimate chapter introductions, 358 pages and 500 carefully-selected images to exhibit the story of her artistic era ‘Nudes’.
Sophie confesses in her opening foreword: ‘Telling stories through my art has always been my safe place, escape and true love.’ The contents of the book are segmented by poignant moments during her career in the last three years, including the opening of three bright pink galleries on Carnaby Street and her famous catwalk shows, where over 100 ‘Nudies’ strutted in front of crowds in nothing but paint.
In regards to the design of the book, Sophie reveals that each material has been considered with the utmost attention to detail. Tea has even created a comforting, bespoke color ‘Sophie Tea Pink’ with G.F Smith which color matched her Carnaby gallery and the book cover. Additionally, the honey gold ribbon bookmark of each tome has been hand-splattered by Sophie in her Sydney studio. Featuring gold-foiled titles paired with a matching gilded edge, this keepsake book arrives protected in a matching, classic box containing real gold flecks. Layered with character, there will also be hidden AR elements on special pages, which will quite literally bring the book to life through your phone.
Sophie Tea began painting nudes in 2019 but upon searching the internet for muses, she was met with explicit content. After days of scouring the net she came up with the idea to ask her Instagram followers: ‘In the name of art, will you please send me a nude?’. The next day marked the start of her ‘Nude’ era after she woke up to over 1000 naked images.
What Sophie didn’t anticipate at the time were the compelling stories that accompanied the photos. Some were hilarious, with one woman joking ‘I’ve never even sent my boyfriend a nude, but here’s one for you, Soph!’ Others expressed their tough relationship with body image, struggles with mental health and tragic losses of loved ones.
Sophie openly admits to struggling with her own body image and has released ‘Send Nudes’ as a celebration of women. In an excerpt taken from the book, she states, ‘The chapters that follow showcase the work of my career that I am the most proud of. It is the most important story I have told, with a singular goal: Make women feel just a tiny bit nicer about themselves’.
‘SEND NUDES’ will be available to the public on Sunday 7th May at www.sophieteaart.com
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Alicia Puig has been a contributing writer for Create! Magazine since 2017.
