Sonia Jeronimo · Contemporary abstract painter · Portugal
Matter. Territory.
Scale.
I make material abstract paintings in which colour, sediment and surface are shaped by gravity, time and the architecture around them.
The artist
From Technology to Contemporary Art A New Territory for the Same Drive to Build, Create and Shape Experience
From leadership
to material practice.
I came to painting after nearly three decades building companies and leading complex structures in the technology sector. That experience did not become a theme in the work; it changed the way I approach decisions, scale, risk, structure and endurance.
I now work from Serra da Estrela, Portugal, developing a full-time abstract practice centred on material, territory and perception. The paintings range from medium to large scale and are made to be encountered both at a distance and at close range.
My work is held in private collections in Europe and the United States and is increasingly developed in dialogue with architectural, hospitality, corporate and contemplative spaces.
Practice
Abstraction without illustration.
I use abstraction to translate geological processes without depicting mountains or rivers. Acrylics, gesso, raw cotton or linen, sand and mineral sediments allow absorption, flow, sedimentation, abrasion and exposure to become part of the construction of the image.
Layering records transformation. Gravity, drying time, pressure, incision and removal are not effects added afterwards; they are working conditions that determine what remains visible and what disappears.
The result is not a representation of landscape. It is a surface in which material behaves, accumulates and changes.
Territory
The mountain
as a working source.
Serra da Estrela is not a motif in my paintings. It is a material and perceptual source. Its rivers, sediments, granite surfaces, weather and shifts of light inform how I think about density, erosion, accumulation and duration.
Local materials include sand and mineral matter from the Seia River and Lagoa Comprida. In selected recent works, natural palm fibres from Cabo Verde extend this material vocabulary through another geography of memory and matter.
These materials enter the work physically. They are not decorative references to place; they carry weight, resistance, irregularity and evidence of origin.
Explore the territory ↗
Research
Blue as behaviour.
Material
Blue is carried by different densities of pigment, gesso, mineral matter and absorbent support. It can pool, recede, stain, fracture or become almost atmospheric.
Time
Each layer records a sequence of decisions and delays. Drying, flow, abrasion and exposure allow the surface to retain evidence of what happened rather than conceal it.
Perception
Blue changes with light, distance and viewing angle. It becomes an occurrence within the painting rather than simply the subject of the painting.
Scale and space
The work begins on the surface.
It completes itself in space.
Distance
Large paintings establish their presence from several metres away, while material detail only becomes fully legible at close range. The movement between those distances is part of the work.
Light
Raking and changing light reveal relief, sediment and tonal variation. The surface is intended to remain visually active as the conditions of a room change through the day.
Architecture
Scale, orientation, wall proportion and circulation influence how a painting is experienced. For commissions and professional projects, these conditions are considered from the beginning rather than after the work is complete.
Selected professional record
A practice in public.
The work has been presented internationally in contexts including Venice, Milan, Rome, Turin, Barcelona and New York, alongside professional reviews, juried selections and documented installations.
Exhibition dates, venues, reviews and the nature of each recognition are listed separately so that the professional record remains clear and verifiable.
Exhibitions & RecognitionWorks and projects
Begin with a work or a space.
Explore available paintings, or contact the studio to discuss scale, presentation, installation and architectural context for a specific project.
Available Works ↗Commissions & Projects ↗
Contact the studio ↗