capturing dreams on paper since 2004.

Collage artworks by Sonja Alves.

Sonja Alves is a collage artist based in Boston. Born and raised in Southern Vermont, she graduated from Vermont Academy in 1999. After graduating from Hampshire College in 2004 with a BA in studio art, Sonja exhibited work at AS 220 Gallery in Providence, Rhode Island in 2007. Following a period of personal reflection and raising two children, Sonja returned to the studio where she now creates dreamlike, narrative-driven collages using found paper materials. Drawing inspiration from the unconscious mind and the tension between memory and imagination, her work explores themes of transformation, memory, and the surreal. Working from a home studio, Sonja continues to evolve as an artist, integrating her experiences and reflections into each new piece.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

As a collage artist, I create works that weave together fragments of found images to form dreamlike snapshots, where reality and imagination merge. Using found images on paper – often sourced from old books, magazines, and ephemera – I aim to transform everyday materials into new, poetic narratives. Each piece is a journey of discovery, where the act of cutting, pasting, and recontextualizing becomes a process of exploration and reinvention.

My work is driven by an interest in the unconscious mind, the spaces between memories and desires, and the surreal nature of human experience. Through collage, I seek to conjure worlds that are both familiar and foreign, inviting the view to step into a place where time and logic dissolve. The juxtaposition of disparate images – fragments of nature, figures, objects, and architectural forms – creates a sense of tension and harmony, blurring boundaries and evoking a dreamstate.

I am drawn to the tactile qualities of paper, the textures and patterns that emerge from the process of layering and assembling. I approach each piece as a puzzle unto itself. The colors, forms, and textures I select are chosen not for their aesthetic qualities but for their emotional resonance, creating a mood or atmosphere that speaks to the viewer on a subconscious level.

Ultimately, my work is about the act of transformation – the way fragments of the past can be imagined to create something entirely new. Through these collages, I invite viewers to let go of the familiar and enter a space where the boundaries between dream and reality blur, and anything feels possible.

Shows: Hampshire College, Amherst MA. “playing with pieces.” 2004.

AS 2022, Providence RI. “under the interior.” 2007.