Sonia Gomes

Sonia Gomes, born in Caetanópolis, Minas Gerais, and based in São Paulo, works with the remains of the everyday—cloth that once covered a body, lace folded in a drawer, wire bent for another use. Each carries a history of touch. Through wrapping, knotting, and stitching, she translates these materials into sculptural forms that feel both improvised and deliberate. Her process, intuitive yet exacting, transforms acts of handwork into a kind of drawing—one that links, balances, and suspends fragments in space until they find equilibrium. Her work bridges craft and monument, revealing how care and repair can themselves become structural principles. A defining voice in contemporary sculpture, Gomes has represented Brazil at the Venice Biennale twice, in 2015 and 2024. For Side Hustle, Gomes presents four sculptures: three spherical variations and a concise, four-legged stool. Each began as a fabric-based composition before being cast in bronze. The translation preserves the tension and pliancy of the textile while granting it permanence. The metal’s surface holds the memory of its soft origin, capturing the precise instant when motion becomes form. Bronze recreates her signature ephemeral gestures with weight, transforming impermanence into structure.