Art Chowder January | February, Issue 19 | Page 13

T
hat emotional
inspiration is obvious in all
of her pieces, but several rise
to the top, pulling viewers
in like a bronze version of a
rare Earth magnet. Take, for
instance, one of her earlier
pieces entitled The Gift.
A young Bushman brings
his ladylove a tortoise,
shyly hiding the gift behind
his back, anticipating her
admiration and appreciation.
The expressions, the
gestures, the upturned face,
the shy smile, and the gift —
all brilliantly wrought into a
three-dimensional story for
the rest of us to experience.
And yet, her work has a
unique but universal draw
to it because she wisely
allows the viewer to finish
the story in their own way.
“My subjects only suggest
movement, context, and
endings,” Sonja says. “It’s up
to the viewer to create their
own context and endings; too
much detail and it’s simply
me telling the whole story;
but just enough and you can
finish it your way.”
January | February 2019
13