Sofia Minson

Award-winning New Zealand artist Sofia Minson paints portraits and landscapes infused with ancient myth, magic and symbolism. Her original paintings and fine art prints weave contemporary Maori art with European, Hindu, Buddhist and Egyptian art.

Sofia’s work is unique and globally relevant, exploring the border between visual art and sacred imagery. A must in any collection of significant contemporary paintings.Her Ngāti Porou (Māori), Swedish, English and Irish heritage inspires her to uncover connections between diverse cultures.

Sofia is widely respected in Aotearoa (New Zealand) for her original portraits of Māori.  

“Rather than European colonial painters gazing upon Māori subjects, as a Ngāti Porou artist I am depicting fellow contemporary Māori people. The gaze is between Māori and out of the canvas to the rest of the world.”

She’s fast becoming an internationally known artist as discerning art buyers as far afield as the US, Asia, UK and Europe add her work to their collections.

“For me, true beauty is wisdom shining through elegant forms. I honour the cosmos with each brushstroke, as sacred geometry, landscapes and faces reveal themselves.”

“Art keeps me connected to my Māori roots (Ngāti Porou) while allowing me to celebrate the cultural and religious diversity I’ve experienced through travelling the world.”

“We need aspirational symbols to navigate this strange new world. Through my art, I explore seeds of truth that are common between traditions seemingly spread far and wide across time and space.”

“I feel very connected to the land here and I feel like this land is home”