Sophie Cape has just taken out the $100,000 Hadley’s Art Prize for landscape with her powerful painting Thunder Shifts the Shivering Sands.

It’s a raw and visceral work on canvas made using rust, charcoal, soil, pigment and binder.

In this episode I talk with Sophie about what winning the prize means for her at this point in her career. She also tells me about her incredible path to painting — from training as an elite athlete with Olympic ambitions to finding her way into the art world after injury changed the course of her life.

Sophie has received multiple awards and residencies over her career. She has exhibited in over a dozen solo shows and her work is held in many public and private collections. She is represented by Olsen Gallery.

A highlights video from this conversation will be up on my YouTube channel soon. I also spoke with 12 of the other finalists, and those conversations will be heading to YouTube shortly as well.

During my time in Hobart, I was a guest of Hadley’s at the beautifully restored Hadley’s Orient Hotel (built in 1834) and is the venue for the exhibition. The show runs until 21 September, accompanied by a series of talks – you can find more information on their website here .

Links

• Podcast listeners –  see images of the works we talk about here


• Sophie Cape on Instagram


• Sophie Cape at Olsen Gallery


• Australian Story: Adrenaline Brush: Sophie Cape


• Sign up for the Talking with Painters newsletter 


• Talking with Painters on Instagram


• Talking with Painters on youTube 


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Thunder Shifts the Shivering Sands
Rust, charcoal, soil, pigment and binder on canvas
2024
148cm x 160cm

Romper Stomper, 2014, oil, acrylic, bitumen, charcoal, and soil on canvas, 209 x 203cm
Winner, Portia Geach Memorial Award, 2014