Sophie Mess’s new mural ‘Journey of Progress” spreads over 2 floors in a vast group exhibition dedicated to exploring the influence of flowers on creativity and human expression
Sophie Mess is a British artist known for transforming urban landscapes with her large scale- floral murals. Her latest botanical beauty is a colossal 8m high 50 m2 two-storey high mega-flower-mural!!
The colourful bloom will welcome the public at Saatchi Gallery’s latest Exhibition – Flowers – Flora in Contemporary Art and Culture 12th February – 5th May 2025.
Thrilled to be part of an exhibition celebrating a passion so close to her heart, Mess is delighted that her latest work, entitled Journey of Progress will greet visitors at the iconic Gallery, alongside established artists and exciting talent alike.
“The mural is a personal reflection on my journey as an artist. So, the piece is all about progress, suggesting that growth is built over time, piece by piece, and that every experience is part of a larger journey of development” Sophie Mess
Based in the countryside of Devon, UK, her work can be found scattered across Europe from towering five-story buildings in France, hotel rooftops in the heart of Rome, bustling city centre squares in Sweden, as well as throughout America and further afield.
Resonating with a deep connection with nature her work is bold, colourful and intricate, and grounded in a belief that art has the power to create positive impact and elevate our mental wellbeing.
The enormous spray-painted floral mural builds slowly and resiliently along the height of the stairwell – gaining energy and momentum through execution and colour. Taking 9 days to complete, the mural starts with
“soft blue flowers, lower in vibrancy to represent the early quiet stages of growth”, and gradually grows, escalating in colour height and intensity, along the architecture of the stairwell to become bold fiery oranges and yellows of trumpeting tulips – “symbolising breakthroughs and powerful moments of progress”.
Always inspired by nature, Sophie Mess started painting flowers in the street whilst living in London because “subconsciously I was missing that connection to nature”. Her work has evolved from street art murals, where she designs digitally using photographs she has taken. She then scales these images up onto ‘urban canvases’ bringing nature and its positively transformative essence to the urban environment.
Describing herself as a “colour fiend – bright colours energise me, and I love discovering colour combinations everywhere, in nature or on my travels through various cultures especially where bold colours are plentiful”. Her process has also inspired her to recently start growing plants as reference, adding another ‘new shoot’ to her work and the exploration of the natural world.
