DANNY SOFA
Passages of Light
A Journey Through Hidden Worlds and Magickal Repetition
Curated by Clarence Edward
September 4, 2024 - January 17, 2025
Opening reception: Thursday, October 3 from 5:30pm-7:30pm
To make an appointment to see this exhibit outside the existing performance times, contact Manager of Artistic Programming Daniel Jones at daniel@ozartsnashville.org.
Featuring a dreamlike landscape of vivid characters, creatures, and iconography, Danny Sofa’s dynamic paintings highlight figures who exist in states of emotional transition and transformation. These canvases tell many stories, sharing a unique journey to a magical realm that offers an alternative vision of our own reality that is both distorted and enhanced. Sofa’s vivid imagery is fantastical and at times nightmarish, as huddled groups create solidarity banding together, animals bark and howl, and one landscape melts into the next. Recurring symbols such as flames, moons, and candles offer points of illumination and reflection in each of the works, interplaying bright colors with contrasting areas of darkness or pure light. Lean a little closer – who are these figures, and what story do they tell? What is that creature trying to say? Doesn’t he seem awfully familiar?
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Hailing from Dayton, Ohio, Danny Sofa is a multifaceted artist with a diverse creative portfolio. Holding a BFA from Miami University (Oxford) with a specialization in oil painting, Danny’s artistic prowess extends beyond traditional canvases.In addition to his expertise in oil painting, Danny is a skilled musician, printmaker, and sculptor.
Relocating from Ohio to Nashville, TN in early 2023 marked a pivotal moment in Danny’s artistic evolution. Since then, he has broadened his visual language, focusing predominantly on expansive figurative and narrative works that introduce a captivating array of characters. These characters span a spectrum, ranging from human forms and humanoid creatures to whimsical amalgamations of animals and eerie beasts. Within the realms Danny creates, one can observe a striking interplay between ephemeral moments and eternal stillness, providing a captivating narrative within each piece.
Danny Sofa’s artistic journey unfolds as a dynamic exploration of creativity, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the vibrant and thought-provoking worlds he brings to life. Explore more at dannybsofa.com and on Instagram at @dannybsofa
A NOTE FROM THE ARTIST
This collection marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of my artistic practice. While five of the six works presented were conceived throughout 2023 and 2024, the visual manifestation of these ideas began in 2021 and carried into 2022, following the completion of The Congregation. Like The Congregation, the other five works function as figurative and narrative pieces. Characters from my reality navigate the surface of these works, contemplating the emotions and actions of those around them. In contrast to our reality—or perhaps akin to it—these figures exist in emotionally transient states, open to multiple interpretations. Who are these figures? What relationships are depicted? The answers to these questions often shift throughout the creation process and sometimes even after the works are finished.
I like to believe that once I complete a piece, that’s when it truly begins to live. As time passes, my perception of these works change, and they evolve, becoming less tied to the original narratives and compositions I created. Despite this ongoing transformation, some aspects remain familiar—especially recurring symbols and features. These symbols include flames, moons, and candles, with light emission being a central theme across the entire body of work. During the creation process, I consistently focused on how light can be emitted and reflected by objects in these environments.
Another key feature is the process itself, guided by high points from previous works and the exploration of new possibilities. For instance, I’ve discovered the freedom of loosely sketching figures and objects with paint in the initial stages, allowing for more spontaneity compared to the meticulousness of the final steps. As the composition takes shape, I begin a back-and-forth process of addition and subtraction—adding more paint and details, then “carving out” or covering unnecessary elements. This iterative process leads to brief moments of satisfaction, followed by new questions about how I can continue to create images that challenge and fulfill me.
– Danny Sofa