Sophie Verbeek

Biography

Sophie Verbeek was born in France in 1962. She moved to Italy and grew up in England where at the age of 15, she was initiated to different artistic techniques like calligraphy, drawing,knitting, painting or print making. After studying Business Administration in Reims (France) and London, she got married and returned to her native country. She moved to Dijon and followed a course on History of Art in an Open University, and discovered the works of Dotremont, Hartung and Alechinsky. At the same time, she followed a course on historical calligraphy. Her interest in Graphic Arts came to its turning point when in 1996, she moved to Belgium and met Roger Willems. His contemporary work was a revelation. She then took a few workshops in Belgium, England and France. Her understanding of a more poetic approach, came with Brody Neuenschwander, that encouraged her to research into a free, liberated gesture far from pure esthetics. That concept was strengthened during her ten year participation with the artistic group the Black fingers. Today, Sophie continues her research with the graphic line, color and textural rythm.
She now lives in France, 20minutes from Geneva and has exhibited in collective and private exhibitions in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy and the United States.

EXPOSITIONS / EXHIBITIONS
2008 Promenade d'ecriture vegetale Cabinet D'osteopathie, Caroline Erdt,
Geneve, Suisse (livre)
2008 Petits formats Galerie Racine exposition collective- Bretigny, France
2007 Anima Fortis par AVV Collonges-Fort-L'Ecluse, FranceFort
2006 Calligraphies musicales salle de musique - Collonges-Fort-L'Ecluse, France
2006 1001 nuits Galerie Racine exposition collective- Bretigny, France
2006 Internationale Grote Prijs Kalligraphie Cultureel Centrum, Westerlo,
Belgique (Catalogue)
2005 Spleen et Ideal - Charles Baudelaire - OMPI - Geneve, Suisse
2005 If Galerie Racine, exposition collective- Bretigny, France
2004 Traces, desir et volupte - IDETH,Lyon
2004 Salon de la St. Martin - invitee d'honneur - Versonnex, France
2003 La liberte ONU – Geneve, Suisse
2003 Invito alla calligrafia - Bibliotheca Civica Villa Amoretti, Turin, Italie
(catalogue)
2003 Art postal - Mediatheque - Dole, France
2003 Questions ? Incipit ¬– Circolo Calligrafia Italiana, Italie
2003 The writer’s place - Kansas City, USA
2002 Depassons nos Frontieres -Fete du Haut Jura - Bibliotheque de
Collonges, France
2002 La semaine des Ecritures - Theatre et MJC – Bourg-en-Bresse, France
2002 La Calligraphie - Centre Jean Villar – Bellegarde, France
2001 De Gilgamesh a l’an 2000 - Centre Culturel - St. Claude, France
2001 Gexpo -Avec les Meilleurs Ouvriers de France – Gex, France
2001 Les Artistes prennent le pli -Musee de la Poste –Paris, France
2001 Fete des Mots Familiers -Bibliotheque Municipale – Callac, France
2001 400eme anniversaire du rattachement des Pays de l’Ain a la France – Gex,
Thoiry, France
2001 Voltaire -Maison Fusier – Ferney-Voltaire, France
2000 Concours Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France - Strasbourg, France
2000 Fete des Mots Familiers - La Passerelle, Saint-Brieuc, France
2000 Salon du Dessin et de la peinture a l’eau - Espace Eiffel – Branly, Paris,
France (Catalogue)
2000 Swiss Calligraphy Award 2000” - Internet
1999 De Gilgamesh a l’an 2000 - Cave Sainte Croix, Metz, St. Claude,
Strasbourg, France
1999 Exposition sur l’ecriture - Bibliotheque de Thoiry, France
1999 Writing Beyond Words” - The Guilford Handcraft Center, USA (Catalogue)
1999 Art and the Letter (CLAS) - Imperial College, London, Angleterre
1996 Celebrating American Poetry Frye Art Museum, Seattle, USA and Letter
Arts Review (Catalogue)
1996 Internationale Grote Prijs Kalligraphie Cultureel Centrum, Westerlo,
Belgique (Catalogue)
1996 Art and the Letter (CLAS) Imperial College, London, Angleterre