Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophie Mo.
Hi Sophie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started out as a designer and illustrator in publishing with strong passion for print and love for tattooing (with a short-lived apprenticeship at the age of 18).
I’ve always loved seeing my labour come out in tangible ways – something that you can feel, touch. Digital space never quite made sense to my brain in a way working with physical tools does. Don’t get me wrong – I still use an ipad and procreate for convenience when I need to speed through commercial concepts and deadlines, and for complex tattoo designs I don’t feel confident enough to freehand.
Moving back to tattooing and prioritising it at a certain point in my artistic career has felt like a right shift, and also has completely changed how I view the base structure of my work depending on what medium is in use. Its flow, contrast, composition – it’s all so varied from skin to paper to murals to merch. I really enjoy navigating those differences and adapting them across my practices, whether they’re instinctive or require more precision.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I see my obstacles as challenges, and unfortunately I do love to test my own patience. Lack of said patience paired with naivety at an earlier stages and younger age can be a pretty bad combination. Throw a lack of confidence and imposter syndrome in there, makes up for some solid crying bathroom breaks.
Experience and learning how to take inspiration from artists whose work you tend to observe both online and offline rather than endlessly comparing yourself as you go on is a tricky mindset to jump in to but has been so vital to me overcoming my inner bullying voices.
I still cry in the bathroom at times though. Not near anywhere as often, however. It’s a nice reset.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialise in blackwork illustrative tattooing, however I still get an occasional publishing commission, but same style would apply. When it comes to tattooing, I’ve been gradually shifting more towards larger freehand work. It helps me connect and understand the flow of my designs better with clients body. I also find it a little more challenging but the payoff is worth it every time.
I also got back into photography recently, and I think mentally interchanging inspiration in images I see that I take references from for my editorial work and blending them with tattooing has also reset how I approach things. I think people are moving away from perfectly polished imagery and media in general, both creators and consumers. As someone who was ‘classically’ trained (I went to arts academy and then arts university), I found it really challenging to get away from that ‘it MUST be done a certain way’ box. I’ve been trying to get into less figurative illustration and it’s hard! Somehow doing that in photography and then transferring those ‘intentional imperfections’ over in my head has really helped.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
In no particular order:
-soft drinks over ice
-following a recipe successfully
-fresh sharpies
-not having to worry about phone storage
-What We Do In the Shadows (the film)
-getting into a flow state when drawing
-Anthony Bourdain memes
-matcha soft serve (yes I am a hipster cliche)
-reading in a pub
-large bodies of water
-getting my Vestiaire offers accepted
-first cold beer at a tattoo convention
-long comforting eye contact
-Stanley Tucci’s cocktail content during lockdown
-fresh oysters
-black claw hella fine 5s
-reaching 666 calorie burn on a treadmill
-perforated paper airplane boarding basses
-hot shower at the end of a cold day
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sophiemo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiemoillustration/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-mo-39b16073/
Image Credits
Photographs of me: Continuous Portrait Project (b&w), Luke Satoru (where I’m tattooing), Bianca Tuckwell (rest – long hair and colour)
