Sophie Mess: A Visionary Mural Artist at Saatchi Gallery
Sophie Mess is a rising star in the world of contemporary mural art whose work has captivated audiences around the world with its vibrant colours, intricate designs and botanical influences. Known for her ability to merge urban street art influences with fine art techniques, Mess has carved a unique space for herself in the art world. One of her most notable achievements is her epic new mural at the prestigious Saatchi Gallery in London, which was commissioned for the blockbuster exhibition “Flowers: Flora in Contemporary Art & Culture”.
Mess’s vast murals and smaller scale paintings highlight the dynamic fusion of public art and gallery spaces. Culturalee interviewed Sophie Mess at the Saatchi Gallery where her mural is featured in the Flowers exhibition until 5th May, 2025.
Your new mural featured in the Saatchi Gallery– ‘Flowers – Flora in Contemporary Art and Culture’–is titled ‘Journey of Progress’. What’s the meaning behind the title?
I wanted the mural to entice visitors from the ground floor, up the stairs to the first floor where the exhibition starts. So I wanted the mural to build in interest and energy with the visitors as they ascended the stairs. That was my starting point. Then whilst I was designing the mural, I was contemplating what it meant to me to be a part of this exhibition and to be painting such a large installation in the Iconic Saatchi gallery, it’s a big deal for me!
I was reflecting on my journey as an artist, and feeling grateful to have this opportunity, and thinking about how I wouldn’t have this opportunity if it weren’t for all the work that has come before it. As an artist you may have big shiny moments, but the real achievement is the amalgamation of everything that has come before to get you to that point.
So for me this mural is about that–progress, suggesting that growth is built over time, piece by piece, and that every experience is part of a larger journey of development, or all part of ‘the bigger picture’. The soft blue flowers almost in the dark at the bottom of the piece are representing early, quiet stages of growth, while the bold, fiery oranges and yellows of the flamboyant tulips at the top symbolize breakthroughs and powerful moments of progress.
The Saatchi Gallery mural is an epic 8m high, but you’ve created even bigger murals on buildings and rooftops. Can you give a bit of insight into your working process–do you start with sketches by hand or on a computer, and what source materials do you use? Also, how do you scale up your designs to fit such vast spaces?
I create my designs digitally based on photos I have taken, so everywhere I go I’m snapping photos and adding them to the ‘reference bank’, sometimes I do specific photo shoots. I then digitally manipulate the images and combine them to come up with my compositions. In terms of scaling the artwork up onto the wall, there are various methods for this, but most of the time I use what is called a doddle grid. I spray a load of random squiggles/ doddles onto the wall and then take a square on photo of the wall, with said markers. I then use an app on my phone where I can overlay an image of my design onto the photo of the wall with all the doodles. Then you drop the transparency of the design so I can see both the design and the doodles and these act as markers and guideposts to sketch out the design. Once the sketch up is done it’s a case of colouring it in, with spray paint.
You have created some epic murals around the world including Italy, France, America and Sweden. How do these projects get off the ground, and do you design the murals based on the flora and fauna of the country you’re creating in?
Every project is different, I’ve painted at a lot of street art festivals all over the world, and they really vary, sometimes it’s a small town and they invite 3-5 international artists each year to add some big murals to the town, other times they are more of a big annual event, hosting many artists in a city to create big murals as well and multiple smaller murals.
Sometimes projects are commissioned by businesses or real estate developers, other times they are community organised projects, so quite a variation really. Occasionally my artworks are based around a specific flower of a region but not generally. Although the sight/ layout of the wall and location are the first and foremost consideration, then I’ll often build a concept around what I’m feeling or what feeling I want to portray, and I’ll work with that to come up with the design. Sometimes I chose specific flowers for their spiritual/historical meanings. So there’s often a deeper meaning behind my piece but it is generally very personal.
You’re based in the Devon countryside. Does it provide a lot of inspiration for your work?
I don’t know if the Devon countryside necessarily provides a lot of inspiration, although my garden definitely does! Because really, I find inspiration everywhere and anywhere, I’m always snapping photos of any cool flowers I see–be it on the side of the road, or on my travels, anywhere! But for me I love being in the countryside and so I think that connection and accessibility to nature is definitely important to me and my well-being and this aids my creativity and flow for sure
It’s a well-known fact that being in nature can release endorphins and heighten our mood. Do you think there is a similar psychologically uplifting effect when artists’ renderings of nature are presented in Urban spaces, such as your botanical murals in Cityscapes?
I 100% think this is the case, yes. I believe in general that street art has the power to transform how a space feels and that can impact how we feel. I think that urban environments can feel quite disconnected from the natural world, and so I do think nature themed murals can bridge that gap, reminding us of our connection to nature, making us feel a part of something much bigger than ourselves and therefore creating similar psychological benefits. I specifically think that bright, extra-large floral murals, in unexpected places can really grab attention and almost create a momentary escape from the hustle and bustle of busy city life. They can evoke that same awe and wonder that you can get in nature promoting similar physiological responses, and if only monetary can really connect you to the calming beauty of nature and bring a smile to your face.
You’ve recently started to grow plants at home as a reference point for your art. What sort of plants are you growing?
I’m all about the flowers, even though my garden is small, I’m squeezing in all the flowers I can, I’ve grown Roses, Tulips, Dahlias, Iris’s, Clematis, Camelias, Lilies, Cosmos, Peonies, Gladioli, and this year I’m trying to also grow Holly Hocks and Poppies so we’ll see how they do, fingers crossed!
You’re a self-confessed ‘colour fiend’ and your art is full of saturated technicolour botany. The vibrancy and realism of your botanical paintings brings to mind Rembrandt but with a contemporary edge. Are there any artists in particular that inspire you, such as Bosschaert the Dutch Still life artists?
I absolutely love Rembrandt’s floral still life’s and all those Dutch Master floral Still Life’s. I love the richness of the flowers against the dark backgrounds and wonder if that is why I’m so drawn to a dark background. I also love Georgia O’Keeffe, and I’m constantly being inspired by contemporary artists. There are so many incredible artists in the street art scene who are constantly raising the bar.
