Vicki Soar
Vicki is a British Portrait Artist and Registered Art Therapist "Vicki developed a love of Art from a young age, this grew into a passion to perfect and capture emotions through portraiture. This developed into a fascination on how Art can be a powerful tool to communicate, explore and understand the Psyche. Vicki went on to study Fine Art at Oxford Brookes University and later completed a Masters to become a registered Art Psychotherapist.
Vicki learnt the Psychodynamic and Physiological theories on how Art can regulate the nervous system and be a visual language to represent the conscious and unconscious. Vicki focuses predominately on Portraiture - from small drawings to larger 'interactive' painted murals, using innovative technology and materials. This is a combination of challenging her technical skill but also used to explore her mind. As a registered Art Therapist, this has informed and strengthened her love and appreciation for how cathartic art making can be.
Vicki continues to use Art making to support other's mental health and explore her own, with new mediums, techniques and informed research. Vicki also uses Art to meditate, regulate emotions and express experiences through symbolism and Archetypal imagery. Commonly seen through the use of Portraiture and balance between controlled/fluid mediums. This is a constant evolving process, informed by research and continuing exploration.
Vicki has taught recreational Art classes in England and Australia and has exhibited throughout England (London, Derby and Oxford). Now based in Blender Studios, Vicki has progressed to larger mural work across Australia and New Zealand." She is excited to be part of another exciting project at Face2Face and is looking forward to collaborating with Humi Fayazi on their collaborative art works.
What does Female empowerment mean to you?
This exhibition has been an opportunity to reflect on female empowerment personally and collaboratively with Humi. We are both immigrants from different cultural backgrounds but visually united with the same symbols of female empowerment, almost intuitively. I reflected on female empowerment through my experience of working as an Art Therapist with females affected by sexual assault. This is where I discovered the Japanese Art of Kintsugi - where cracked pottery is fixed with gold to symbolise it being more beautiful for what it has experienced. This was a reminder of their empowering journey and the strength in their resilience through adversity. I believe these colours are mirrored in the paintings.
The hummingbirds reaching for the gold are a reminder to keep going and to cherish the still moments where empowerment is felt. Through any challenge the feeling of calmness or empowerment can be fleeting but in these paintings it is captured in the stoic female with a protective veil and the frozen hummingbird. They are a symbol of psychological empowerment, feeling like there is control in an uncontrolled environment.
The mandala and third eye represent a deeper connection to our self/soul/spirit, as a sign to respect and trust our intuition. Through difficult experiences I think we lose sight of our resilience, strength and precious qualities but this exhibition has been a wonderful opportunity to celebrate, appreciate and consider what female empowerment is.
What does the Halo represent in your paintings of women?
The halo for me symbolises spirituality. I have used mandalas as they are considered a symbol of the soul. They can be used therapeutically to connect back to your “self” and as a form of meditation. I really enjoy the process of making them, it helps bring clarity to my thoughts.