Sonia Roseval
Originally from Tunis and established in Montreal since childhood, Sonia Roseval develops a deeply intuitive practice where cultural, spiritual, and familial influences converge, shaping her artistic journey. A self-taught artist, she grounds her work in drawing, meditation, and a careful engagement with the natural world. Influenced by her mother’s inventiveness as a seamstress and her father’s intellectual curiosity, Sonia weaves motifs, gestures, and resonances into her works that connect intimate memory with expanded consciousness.
Her approach primarily draws on Japanese ink on washi paper, a medium whose material simplicity aligns with her search for the essential. She also practices printmaking and mokuhanga, while exploring various other media showcased in her portfolio. Her compositions are built around repetitive lines and organic structures inspired by trees, landscapes, and the silent energy of nature. Each gesture is guided by inner listening, nourished by meditation, where the mark becomes a channel for evolving states of consciousness.
Japan occupies a central place in her artistic development. Exposure to Japanese visual and spiritual culture—its philosophies, rhythms, and relationship with time—has profoundly influenced her approach. Working with a minimal set of tools is for her an act of clarity and presence. Her influences include Pierre Soulages for the depth of black, Willem de Kooning for free gestural expression, and Cy Twombly for the poetics of the trace.
Sonia Roseval’s work has been exhibited in numerous institutions across Canada, including the Marden Art Gallery, the Gallery of Nova Scotia, the Gallery of Greater Victoria, the Musée Pierre Boucher, and the Musée du Mont-Saint-Hilaire. Her work has received several awards, including an honorable mention at the AIMPE Awagami 2023 International Mini-Print Exhibition, the Harmony for Humanity Prize in 2024, as well as the Leonardo Da Vinci International Prize in Milan and the Phoenix in the Arts Award in Venice. Her creations are held in public and private collections, including the National Assembly of Quebec and the Montreal Aquarium Foundation.
Balancing intimate grounding with spiritual openness, Sonia Roseval’s art unfolds as an exploration of states of being, where each work becomes a breath, a passage, a space of renewed perception. Convinced that art is a fundamental necessity, she pursues a practice aimed at resonating with the living and offering viewers a sensitive and authentic presence.
Biography
Sonia Roseval, a dynamic and thoughtful artist, has a journey that spans continents and cultures. Born in Tunis, Tunisia, Sonia moved to Montreal as a child, where her curiosity and passions began to take shape. Her father, an intellectual and chemical engineer, filled their home with a spirit of inquiry and discovery, while her mother, a devoted homemaker and talented seamstress, inspired Sonia’s earliest creative ventures. Her childhood was marked by the joys of winter—sledding, skating, and playing with Barbies—evoking a sense of wonder that would later manifest in her art.
Her artistic seed was planted early; by the age of twelve, Sonia was already drawing portraits of her mother. This early act of capturing the essence of someone dear to her paved the way for a life of artistic exploration. Self-taught but influenced by a supportive community, Sonia found mentorship among other artists and through the spiritual guidance of Sri Chinmoy, which profoundly shaped her practice. Her techniques developed organically through freehand drawing, guided by deep intuition.
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