Should I Delete That? - Send Nudes with Sophie Tea

Episode Date: March 31, 2024

This week on the podcast, Em and Alex are joined by artist Sophie Tea! Sophie's career began 10 years ago, she was backpacking and ran out of money so offered painting services to a hostel in order to cover her stay. This flipped a switch for her: she left her job back home and decided that she was going to pursue a career in art. Sophie shares her journey from having her bank card declined at the post office to having her work in the National Portrait Gallery. Her main inspiration is women and their power, and she wants to share the magic that happens when women come together.Follow Sophie on Instagram @sophieteaartPurchase tickets here for our first ever ✨LIVE TOUR!!✨Follow us on Instagram @shouldideletethatEmail us at [e-mail] by Daisy GrantMusic by Alex Andrew Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I just want to be the biggest artist in the world, but I know I'm going to get there. I just know it. I've just got to keep going. I love that. This week on the podcast, we have the only woman I would get naked in public for. Sophie T. Sophie is an artist who's become prolific for celebrating women of all shapes and different sizes with her nudes. And she's brought her nudes to life with catwalk shows. We talk to Sophie about her journey as an artist from painting hostel walls in India 10 years ago to now selling out shows at the London Palladium. She gave us a fascinating glimpse into the art world and we love this conversation with her. I hope you enjoy. Here's Sophie. Hi, so.

Hello. Thank you so much for coming. I'm so excited. You're back in the UK. Very, I know. I'm so happy to be back. Full time? Full time.

This is it? I like, I live here now. No, it's so amazing. You're that London girlie. You are, like, I mean, I don't, I can't comment as to what you want to do with your life because it's on you. But like, everything about your vibe is like, and like at the Carnaby store and it was like London, London, London, and then it's like, but she's in Australia. I know. I know.

I'm gutting for us. I just fell in love, you know? Yeah, I get that. So then I have to go. I get that. Now he's coming back with me. Is he? That's a win-win, that.

Welcome back. Like, you and I, we are, like, we are bonded for life now. You have painted my naked body. Yeah. Oh, my God. I know. But for people who aren't, they literally won't be someone listening that has an Instagram account that won't know about your art already.

But would you tell us about, like, your journey to artists? Because I think you're so known for your nudes and, like, and your amazing colors and the, like, I just, I love everything about your art, you know, I always have. But for anyone who doesn't know about your journey into artistry, does that I think so? It sounded good.

Thank you. Can you tell us about it? Okay, 10 years ago, I basically did a business degree and then was applying for jobs, didn't get any that I liked, so then I went traveling to India to find myself. A classic.

The absolute classic. And then I had a job as an analytical consultant lined up. Then basically I was in this hostel and it had like those of graffiti on the wall. And I was like running out of money. So I just asked the manager if I could paint in return for a free stay. And then he said, yeah. And then honestly, I hadn't painted since I was like at school. But I just was like, I have to do this with my life.

And then I basically emailed the job. I have found myself, guys. I think I've got this, like, new vision. I'm so excited. Like, please join me on my... And they're like, yeah, yeah, right, okay, we don't care. We've got someone else, goodbye. And then randomly, I was just an artist.

Like, honestly, it was a bit of a decision on a whim. So you weren't, like, you didn't know you were good at painting. Well, like, I was always quite good at school, but, like, I feel like your teachers at school, like, oh, yeah, that's nice, but you just can't make a career out of it, I guess. Yeah. and I think the first five years were just like really like tough I was just eating biscuits and just fully hand to mouth like um painting animal portraits actually I loved your animals oh thank you that's when I first found you oh really yeah I've been around for ages oh my god I know

like I'm a proper like ohgy fan I've got one of your I've got my mom got me as a present for my 25th birthday maybe no way yeah yeah yeah like I've been a good I've been a good yeah yeah like I've been I've been around for ages. Because, but what you do is like, I don't know, arts always felt really like, I don't know, like I think it's so interesting. Obviously it's all subjective and stuff, but it's all, there's something about what you do

that makes it so much more inclusive and accessible. Yeah. And like, I don't know, an element of that is Instagram, but also like the way that you make it so people can afford what you buy or, sorry, make it easier to, you know, pay for what you're selling and invest in your pieces. And like, I don't know, it's just like,

it's just felt like a very community-led and like warm space from the beginning. Oh. Which is... That is like the most flattering thing you could ever say because that was my entire goal. But it feels like that and people can see that, I think. That's nice. Yeah, I mean, the art world is kind of stuffy. And I think even day one I tried to get in galleries and it was always a no.

And I think I just realized that like there's a market for like your normal person who's not like some fancy art investor to have nice stuff on their wall and it's been fab because my artwork actually is quite very expensive but we've found a way to I mean we allow people to pay in installments over 12 months and we've been doing that yeah I just it's all about just getting normal people to appreciate and invest in artwork and know that they actually can like I just remember like going into a gallery and there'd be no prices on the wall or like you'd feel intimidated as you walked in like not wanting to ask the person behind the desk in the all white scene like about the artist I don't know and that feeling of like not being good enough to enjoy it I was just

from day dark I was like this is the opposite to the experience I want to create and I think that's what we've tried to do at the carnaby street gallery is literally like if you want to hang out in there all day absolutely no worry just come in and chill like you're never going to be asked to move on like just ask us anything the decoration of the space is just like it's like a lounge room and I wanted to create that safe space for people to enjoy art and ask questions and even if they I mean most of the people that come in don't buy it but that's the beauty of it I think it should always be free and that experience like and feeling yeah warm warmness is important but yeah no I'm glad to said that that's good yeah you feel so feel so warm and I think obviously you kind

grew to like bigger like a much bigger platform and you started doing the nudes and like working with your nudes but I think that's another massive um contributor to the inclusive feel of what you do it's like you're really celebrating women in like just the most epic way with that I'm so I just so obsessed with that I think it's so cool I think it's just the most beautiful expression of like body confidence and and celebration of women at every stage in their lives and it's just so amazing but and obviously like celebration of my naked body because I was one of your canvases which is still the most terrifying thing I've ever done in my life including having a baby but what was it that got you starting to paint women well I guess that growing up I

never had the best relationship with my own body I just really hated my boobs like I've always I used to stuff my bra with football socks and I used to think just this vision is so clear whenever I get a husband when I'm older, I'm just not going to take my bra off. Like that was just ingrained in my head. I've just like hated the way I looked and I feel like the nude era was kind of born from not wanting anyone else to feel the way that I felt about myself for so many years, I guess. So this was five years into my career five years ago. I basically started like searching for naked women online to use as like my reference images. And obviously, I mean, to be honest, I still do it and we've come a hell of a long way

because it's so much more inclusive everything now online. But back in the day, I mean, obviously there was like some hectic pornographic stuff that was coming up and like this one body type really. And I remember just thinking at the time, this is just not going to be helpful. full to anyone like like if my vision really is to to remind people that everyone's okay then we don't want to just keep having the same image so I randomly just put on my Instagram stories like if anyone wants to help me in this project just send me a nude and then the next day we work up to over a thousand you're joking naked pictures wow I say this often but there was one I mean there

was so there was so many different stories i remember there was one woman that was like i've never sent my boyfriend a nude soap but here's one for you like jokes then there was this one woman that had sent me a drop box link with 150 images of herself from different times she was just so ready for the moment and i was so ready for her you know what i mean i still use her images like legend but one will always stand out for me there was this lady she had a double mastectomy and uh she said that her mom had passed away from breast cancer two months before and if her body could be a part of the project somehow to raise awareness or to make people feel better about themselves and that would be amazing and I don't know like I don't know it's just like that's the that's the whole point of it like because when we see like bodies that look like ours online it makes us feel better it makes us feel better about ourselves and like we need reminding all the time so that's kind of like my have North Star, like what I'm, like, driving to constantly do. It's just, like, keep reminding people that, and bodies change as well.

So it's like a never-ending project. It's, like, perfect for me because, like, I always, like, want to do more. I'm like the type of person that's just like, okay, cool, that's not enough. Like, what's the next thing? Yeah. But there's always more you can do to make people feel nice. Yeah. So.

What a joy. Yeah. Yeah. Always more body types. Yeah. So that everyone, yeah. And with age, different. and the experiences that we go through.

I mean, even recently, like, we've touched on it before we went online, but I recently froze my eggs. I've seen a huge change in my body. Like, I don't know what it was, the hormones or something. I actually got boobs for about two weeks, which was so exciting for me. Yeah, and now they're just like little nuggets again. It's a great shame. But, yeah, no, my body's changing.

And now I look in the mirror and the people that are involved in this project and nudies we call them. They inspire me back again. Like, it's all just a whole thing. It's a good life. Yeah, it's beautiful. And it's so, like, more than just seeing themselves, it's like women seeing themselves as art is really special.

Because what we kind of do in the context of, like, there's like, if you go and see, like, I don't know, those Greek goddess statues and stuff. And it's like, yeah, but there was a different time. We're in a Kardashian era now. No one wants to see those kind of roles and that's not what art is. And then I remember taking my sister to your gallery years ago. And she said, and she said when we went, maybe we came to the opening of it.

And she said something along the lines are like, this is the most I've ever like seen my body. Like, you know, anywhere. Like it's a man. And it's like she's really seeing herself in all these women whose fate. And I think it's amazing that you don't include their faces either. So it's just like people really can picture themselves within each piece, which is just great because we don't see it anywhere. And there's someone for every stage as well because there's so many pieces.

Like you say, like... Yeah, that's so true actually because we never see bodies that like don't fit that typical ideal. We don't see them in like a positive light of like a light to be celebrated. Yeah. It's always like or be hidden away or like changed or fixed. So to see them as art, that's such a good point. But it's like, it must be super, super special. 100%.

100%. It makes me feel so, I don't know, I always, I always think that, like, to see a pain. Like, because a woman's body's great. Like, a woman's body's so beautiful. But we just don't really, like, we don't know, we're kind of, we don't stop to look at that element of it. And be like, wow. Like, start, like, no offense to men, but like, so much nice to look at.

So much. I know. people always ask me if I'm going to paint men. I'm like, oh, yeah, maybe one day. Do you think you would? I think there's a part of me in all of the pieces as well, and I don't think I can identify as much with their story, so it would therefore be slightly less authentic.

I get that. If I have a son, perhaps, you know, then I could connect it slightly. I don't know, I just have a real affiliation with women and, like, the magic that happens when we all come together. So I'm going to stick with women for a bit, I think. that jumping back a bit yes can I ask how you then so you you painted that host those hostel yeah yeah sorry I just like stop there no no I'm just really intrigued because like I'm actually

fascinated by that so you did that painting and you're like oh my god epiphany like lightbulb moment this is what I was meant for yeah how did you go about making a career out of it from there so basically I just posted it on Facebook because like Instagram wasn't really a thing at the time so I remember my friends and family were just like oh so if i didn't realize you could paint and then i was like yes i am now an artist um please may you commission me for you know any anything you can want i painted like the most random stuff i think everyone does when they first begin their art career but um i painted a ganesh i paid like um a post box in a tree and then she messaged me back saying actually i don't want it in the tree i wanted it beside the tree and i was like yeah fuck

oh no whoa i don't know where that came from either that was just in the back of my head yeah that was a bad day um i painted uh i just went for breakfast with um uh one of my friends new girlfriends and he was like oh how'd you know my friend basically i was just so like like skin for so long my friend finn i was on the bus taking a commission of a Mr. Potato Head to the post office and my card got declined at a post office because they pay you half up front and half after and I think it was like 125 pound they paid this massive painting and the the postage was like 45 pounds and it was just like a hectic time so I was just like and anyway my friend rings me and he's like because I was like the person

out of uni that decided to become an entrepreneur so he just like kept checking in on me he was like um so what's going on I was like they're not No, I'm crying my eyes out. I was like, my car, I just got declined. I just can't deal with it anymore. And he was like, what's your bank details? What's your bank? I was like, no, no, no, literally, no.

He kept persisting. This guy, I was literally just talking about him before. He transferred me £1,000. Oh, what a baby? No, honestly, I didn't you really know him that much from uni? He's just always just like been a big brother and like looked after me a bit. And he said to me, I don't want the money back. when your paintings are worth 10,000 pounds,

I'm going to come at you for a commission. So, like, four years ago, I painted him a massive samurai Japanese soldier. And the girl that I met this morning, I just, like, did him not a favour because she's actually a fucking legend and I'll probably see her again. But she was like, yeah, I look at that Japanese samurai warrior guy all the time.

Anyway, that was so lovely. I was thinking before, like, oh, has there ever been a time that you've, like, had like, that big moment that you're like, thank god that happened like that big piece of luck i remember at the time because it's just such a lot of money a thousand pounds to just like give you a bit of breathing space i think then after that i was like okay what do i i can afford to pay my rent for a month what do i actually like want to do and then i moved on to abstracts after that anyway but sorry it was yeah literally what an absolute

legend legend shout out to finn shout out to finn fully anyway but i did the i posted on facebook so that was my life for about three years. I got a studio that was a hundred and twelve pound a month and I shared it with a person. We were men to like share it half the time as well but I was actually in there like 18 hours a day every day like sorry. And then it's honestly just been such incremental growth. There's never been like a moment as like bang. Yeah. It's just I've just slowly over the years set up an Instagram, slowly grown, increased my prices just gradually as demand comes just nothing too crazy I think it's just honestly persistent and it helps because I absolutely love it so there's nothing else I want to do anyway so I'm just always drawn

just going in the studio and with that comes better skill set better experience more knowledge of materials more understanding of business social media like it's just it's just been chipping away it's just been years so there's been like no real moment that it's like bang but I think the nudes were were a moment in time where the art went from me just trying to keep my head above water because I just loved painting to flipping it to actually and making artwork that's going to make a difference to people's lives. Like that was the switch over.

And I mean, looking back, I mean, I'm glad I went through all these lessons on my own, to be honest, because I think you have to. No one can really give you any advice and tell you stuff because you're never going to, I mean, for me, I'm never going to listen. I have to go through the wave of it myself. but I think looking back if I'd have made something that came from the heart earlier maybe I'd be a bit further on but it's fine I'm doing it for life like I'm I'm in now like

and I think I'll just want to be the biggest artists in the world but I know I'm going to get there I just know it I've just got to keep going I love that but I also I get that for you I feel that for you it's just going to happen it's inevitable thank you I know even though I'm in my head I'm like, what the fuck are you what about? No, I really like that. I actually do know a bit. Yeah, good for you. Thank you.

Good for you. Thank you. We will not be the top podcast, but we will support you from down here. We'll be like, woo. Yeah, we know her. We know our place. That's so great, though, that you've just got this, like, self-belief.

Yeah. Like. Yeah. Have you always had that? Have I always had that? I think it just comes from, like, I've really had a bit of a therapy session this morning as well with Finn's new girlfriend. She's just such a legend.

She was like, so what's your reason why for doing it? And I was just like, I just think I've never been like fully accepted into like, I know, like at every stage that's important in a person like from growing up, I've always been like, I never got in the, I've never got in the uni that I wanted. I never got the job that I wanted. It was like in a company that I didn't want. ever been accepted into a gallery and I think I've just got this like disruptive attitude that it's like well I just do it myself you did get accepted into a gallery last week though can I just actually

spill the tea on that yes right so my backdoor in these like big fine establishments because I realize I'll go like art chat now because basically I realize that well I want to be a an investment grade artist and for that um i'm kind of semi frowned upon because i've gone down the quite prolific route i'm like for the people there's a lot of my artwork out there and um as a like an artist that would have gone through art school or it's all about scarcity right because like and and growing the value of that and like you know only selling to the right clients well that gives me the I just hate that concept, like, of being in like a... It's like an old boys club or whatever.

Literally. And I just, it just, oh, God, I just hate it. And it's also snobby. And so for an artist to be, like, deemed as, like, successful. And not that I really, like, care about what the typical kind of things for success are. But it's if you have a strong secondary market. So primary market would be if I sold to you, the secondary would be if you sold, to your mom.

Yeah. That secondary market sale is really important because that like lets everyone know that you are an investment because if you were to buy the work you'd be able to sell it on for more potentially. So I'm not, so at the moment like I have such a massive primary market

because so many people have my artwork but I don't have a secondary market because people are holding on to it and also the people that are buying my artwork aren't necessarily educated in the art space. They just want it, which I love. So I'm like, I'm on the bit of a mission to like educate people about like that secondary market section.

So for me as an artist, I need like a few stamps of approval from these like big institutions to be able to like say, look, you know, I have my artwork displayed at XYZ and therefore it is a good investment. To be honest, I'm a bit lost at the moment because I'm trying to understand what my next step is, like whether I actually want to be like, and I'm actually in a bit of a weird stage, I'm really still trying to understand this, whether I want to be like more prolific in that sense or whether I want to be like more elevated. And I just feel like I just want to be both. And I remember this one guy said to me once, the only guy that's done both successfully

and you won't be able to do it as Damien Hearst. And I just thought, fuck you, I want to do it. Yeah, fuck him. You can do that. Yeah, but also we really like him because he is an auction house and he's allowed me. So normally auction houses, this might be boring so you can cut this out. It's fascinating. Okay, so basically auction houses, they typically only kind of consign artwork

from big collectors or galleries. So like you couldn't go to an auction house and say right now I've got a Sophie tea, I want to put it up for auction. Basically, I'm working with this auction house in quite an innovative way because I'm also like really very precious about SOFITR. Like I don't like to, I don't like anyone.

I'm quite an independent. Like I don't want a gallery. Because galleries take 50% commission by the way. 50. Yeah. That's why it's like, yeah, it's fact. So that's another reason why I was like, obviously I'm just going to do it myself and build a team internally

and then take all the money. Small. Yeah. Yeah. But then obviously you've got to pay for everyone's, you know. Yeah. And then it's hard getting in the old houses because you're not in the galleries. Exactly.

Exactly. Exactly. So I don't have any of that. This is an old boys club. It's literally like, it's so political. I didn't realize. Yeah, no, massively. And like, I mean, I do have to play the game a bit. But also, I've kind of like shot myself in the foot a bit because I've gone down this room, being quite vocal about the fact that, you know, galleries are kind of like, you know, misrepresenting artists and whatever and taking lots of money and stuff. So this auction house, I have like an amazing relationship with them where they let me,

which is completely like not a thing. They let me the artist directly give them artwork to the auction house. That's cool. Which is amazing. So they've taken a massive risk on me. So I actually have a big sculpture going to the auction house next week. That was displayed in the National Portrait Gallery. How cool of that?

Wow. Four. Three hours. Still went to the actual portrait gallery. No one can take that way for you. No one can take. No one. I've seen the photo.

I've seen it. I know. Do you know how pissed off they were with me on that night? We got the plinth. No one, it was 400 kilograms. No one could lift it. We had this massive plinth and it was on the side by the co-area. And I said, sorry, I know this is going to scratch the floor. It needs to be in the middle of the foyer. I need to get that picture because that's just all about the hustle. And even like it's still, and I think I'll always have to be. Hustling. Because I've not, yeah, I think I'm just always going to have to do that. And I think that's just what I've got to deal with. so obviously I know fuck all about art so like I don't know anything but I do feel with like you're told and you're not asking for advice because you know what you're doing but like in terms of choosing between being like prolific or a stab what's the choice between being prolific and established yeah I guess or like acknowledged by yeah but I feel like the reason that you're so prolific and loved is because you like you can feel the love the love you can feel the love and the hustle and the work and the passion

and the chaos and the magic that goes into it like it feels more than like and love Damien Hurst like very pretty blossom I like your butterflies but like blossom and butterflies but you're putting like you in your stuff and I feel like there's something to be something like really cool there like and maybe you lose that bit if you have to be

blossoming and butterfly so the reason I love Damien Hurst because he is actually both he has fuck all that art. No, no, no, but he has like very anti-establishment himself. Like he is fiercely independent and has like, you know, done a big fuck you to the art world as well as having their stamp of approval, which is like the really difficult thing to do. But I'd say that because I really want to meet Damien Huss at some point because I really love him. I don't think he's going to be listening, but just in case he could do.

Hi, Damien. And not to just come on here and just say my dilemmas, but I actually am in a quite big down, I remember about where my career goes next. I get that. And I do think I, I just don't have the answers right now, but it's why I'm in London and it's why I just want to be where it started, be around, like, oh, the clients are here, you know, all my, everything is here for me, really. You might find that it becomes clear.

I think it will. The more you start to explore, maybe like, you can do that elevated, is that what we're like, that approach and you might find it's just not right for you. It might, the answers might come to you. I think so. And also my partner will was like, I know that as soon as you get in there, you're just not going to be bothered.

And I was like, yeah, maybe I won't. I don't know. It's a bit of the chip on my shoulder, I guess, because I've not been acknowledged. I don't know. We'll see what we'll see. But I think at the heart of it always is just like, I just love painting.

And no one can ever take that way. And I'm just not going to stop. So like, that's fine. But your primary market is amazing. It's insane. And it's nuts. When I did the show, how many people in like my life completely off Instagram

were so aware of like you and your art and what I was doing and like I remember my friend I think my friend who isn't on Instagram at all and I went to go and see her and she had sent a photo of herself to you and I think maybe you painted it

maybe you guys, I don't know but she was telling me about how much it had meant to her that she had sent it and like how she never showed her body to anyone and she had had a baby and all of this and she'd written you this really big letter and it was like fuck like people are giving you so much of their trust

and that is so stunning like and even with the nudie show again like I did it with Georgie and George would say if she was here like that would took the biggest that was the bravest thing she could have ever and George's relationship with her body is such a hard thing for her And it's like there's no one in the world that could have made her take off all her fucking clothes and walk down a mirrored cat.

I mean, same for me, but like, but for George, and for so many of those women, it was like, and it's such a trusting thing that they're giving you. It's like, take my whole vulnerability and like make it beautiful. And it's like, that's just the coolest thing in the world that you do. And like, I don't know, like, I know I get, like, as an artist that you got like your galleries. and auction houses and stuff and that level of prestige that you need but like in terms of what you're doing with your primary market

it's like so cool 100% like I cannot yeah and we guard that relationship I mean you would know like what and how much the aftercare that goes into like making sure that everyone feels comfortable and safe like

I have to say that that is one of the most things I'm most proud of is how we navigate that process of making people feel safe yeah um yeah how did the show come about um you brought the nudes to life i guess with the with the catwalk it came it was quite quickly after i um initially got those thousand images i think i was to be honest like i'm not i wasn't at the time i'm still like kind of not i got a lot of learning to do but i'm not actually that much of a good painter so i literally like wanted to like bring the artwork to life

I guess in a way that I couldn't yet on canvas, I think. And also, to be honest, like the stories of these amazing women and like their relationships and also like, I guess like body issues or traumas or points of view that I'd never heard before. And I think that I just wanted a way to, I wanted to be a platform for them to tell their story and I guess that this is what the shows the shows aren't actually about me do you what I mean it was it's it's just a platform for these women to like express themselves and to feel beautiful so yeah that's what I'm actually most proud of and I I'd go between two because I'm like oh I'm I'd study business I love business it's got to be it's got to be commercial

because obviously the whole thing needs to be funded but I think yeah the most important thing is like yeah the group of women yeah so you've got a show coming up on the 5th of April I'm so nervous like this one's different though yeah because it's at the palladium I mean like that's so prolific that's so cool that is really cool I know it's so cool I just don't know what to do that no it's gonna be fine like I've got a complete new project team on the case I literally all working at my Airbnb now with Bethmore Green me together the nudies have been selected um so when i get back on i'm going to call them all it's in memory of one of your nudie's Nikki it is yeah so Nikki was a nudie at one of our gallery

launches actually um and this was when I was stuck in Australia actually um which I was for four years um well two years um and she then after her experience I met her when she then helped paint you guys at the ward off show which was a huge amazing career highlight for me and Nikki was just such an important part of that day and I'd followed Nikki for years anyway and yeah she's just such a special human being the impact that she had that's basically what I'm trying to channel like she is everything that I want to be and like that she's helped so many women with their relationships with their own bodies and that's kind of just what I want to emulate so yeah that all um of my portion of the ticket sales um go to her two charities

that she supported yeah that's a wonderful thing that you're doing yeah it's amazing it's great yeah it's great and Alex is going to her husband's going to come off on stage and do a little poem um yeah it's going to be great yeah yeah so i Nick Nicky always celebrated you like I always I always felt like I don't know her love you're so right in the in the like the trust and the love that that you create with your nudies and the women that just are exposed to your art but like her love you could just feel it like I mean on the day but also even just following her like her the art that you create is so precious but and when you when you when you are the art like when I still have my pants from that show

which are like so yeah they're still like just walking for the show they're so paint like I don't know what to do with them I'm like I can't chuck them at this point it's been like three years why don't you cut off a section of it that's probably good not the gusset like float mount frame them

I think well I think Mickey did something like that with hers and that was what made me think she did not the not a bit I think but she kept them and it made me that and I still think and I actually think of her now when I look at mine I'm like oh this is nice I'm a little keepsakes but

it's so it's and you don't dedicated your nudie book when you brought out the coffee table book to one of the nudies who did the Wardle show who passed away afterwards. So two women, so Mandy, who was at the Wardle show, yeah, she passed. And there's actually her daughter messaged me because on one of the videos Mandy's on the phone to her daughter before she walks naked on stage

and this is this cute clip. She's like, I love you so much. Oh, my. Yeah. So that was beautiful. And then Amy, who was one of our nudies that passed in Sydney. And, yeah, keep in touch with her family quite a lot. The fab.

Yeah. You do create this amazing, it's an immortalisation of, I don't know, of like, of just joy. It's just, there's no, like, even if you're so insecure and you're so, which we were before we walked out, it's like, fuck. Yeah. I want to know what it was like. Oh, it's completely. I mean, I'm not even doing it and I've just got, yeah. I mean, you are naked.

Yeah. Yeah, I did keep pants on. I mean, little ones and they were nude coloured and then obviously they were painted. But there's no space for like, you remember you go to like the happiest part of your life and like you just put all your shit aside because you're like, well, I don't want to bring the vibe down. And I think that's how I definitely felt about like any insecurity that I had. Yeah. It's like not now. Like, there's no space for this today.

Like, you know, that's not what this is. And it was like, it was like everybody. paused their insecurity because it's like there's literally, that's not what this is. There's no room for that here. And you're terrified, but you're not terrified because you're like, oh, I'm terrified because someone's going to see my cellulite or I'm terrified because someone's going to think like my boobs are ugly. It's not that kind of terror.

It's more but like, oh, God, I hope I don't trip and fall over. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, it's the adrenaline fear and being part of that community thing. And that's such an excitable fear. but I was really struck by the fact that I didn't have this like overwhelming panic about my body and I didn't think

oh fuck people are going to judge me I didn't think all the person painting me and actually Hannah painted me and then and then you did all your splattering and stuff and I was like I was thinking oh God Hannah's going to think I'm really like really let myself go or I've got really weird thighs

or whatever she doesn't give a shit you know like I'm a canvas and she's just painting it and we're having a laugh and like so that's kind of like I don't know it was still terrifying doing it get me wrong

the fun kind I feel like the energy in that room everyone is like screaming like shouting like you're amazing oh my God

it's amazing I just I can't wait to do it again I cannot wait it's been three years haven't done one in three years we just had a new de-application round but just under 10,000 people have like no way

yeah insane And me, so we started reading them last Monday. We closed the applications on Monday at midnight. And then we printed them all off. And then we began reading them on the Wednesday. By Wednesday mid-morning, we had like, I think seven team members project team for the Sunday show live. I called my mom and I was like, you've got, we've got to do pulling all night. Because we've got the shows in two weeks, we need to let them all know.

Oh, my gosh. So they were picked Friday night late. 10,000. It's so nice to know that 10,000 people are willing to show their bodies like that, isn't it? Isn't it? It's really cool. But they're all petrified. They're all like, what am I doing, but I'm doing it?

Really. This is just crazy. But like, I felt that even when I was on the fucking stage, I was still like, I hate this. But then I love it. Like, it's so vulnerable. But like, that's magic. Like 10,000 people. I know.

I can't think of anything else that would get 10,000. women you couldn't get 10,000 women on a beach feeling like, no way, you know, like naked on a, even in swimming costumes on a beach comfortably. How did you choose them? Because how many do you end up with? Um, well, initially, because on that nudity day with your lot, I was just like, so, I couldn't speak to everyone because there's 50 of you. And in my head, I was just like, because I've always only done 20 and then I get to know everyone on the day and like, we actually spend the day. But then I went to the pladium and I, the space. is absolutely massive. So it was 20. And then also I was reading all the applications.

I was like, how am I going to shortlist these people like absolutely nuts and out? 50 again. Better enough. Yeah. 50 was great. I love that kind of chaos. I loved it. It was great. It was like everywhere you look, there's another naked person and like woo. And every time. And every time. And every time. And every day. And every time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It was fun. It was good. Even going from like 20 to 50 like how do you shortlist? No, honestly, I just I, I, yeah. 10,000. I must have been so, I could, that's too many decisions. Can't, stressing me out thinking about it. If I could have picked everyone, like, I don't, like, everyone's a legend.

You're a legend if you apply, what the hell, like, thank you. Yeah, 100%. I just don't even know what, yeah. I just need to do something that, like, includes the 10,000. Like, we should, like, do some massive, like, war, I don't know, what's the Guinness Book, World Records, like, something. Can we do a hag's time Sophie T? Like, 100%.

Let's do it. 100% do it let's do a beach day we could do like we could do a swim or a walk we could just swim we could a freezing swim oh okay a warm swim yeah but like i mean it's england so we can't get more to portugal but like we could we could do something yeah i'm literally dead keen like 100% okay yeah let's get the 10,000 so this feels biblical wow because i just feel like now i'm in london i just need to like do it all meet all those legends Do you mean? Are you going to come on the 5th? You throw? Yes, definitely. Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely.

I'm so jealous. I'm away. Are you? Oh, God, yeah. Oh, that's annoying. I thought we were going to go together. George's going. Okay, I'll go to George. Come to your last solid. I can't remember why. Didn't want to see me naked, did you? Yeah. Our friendship can't take it there. Yeah, me and Georgie bonded for life. Have you seen that photo where our boobs are touching?

It's so bad. Did you like a funny movie? Yeah. It's so bad. Like, and you can see the pain in my eyes. Like I hate this Oh it was absolutely crushing I know it's so funny Like I'm not a naked person at all Believe it or not

Like I'm just not No I'm actually not But like since the women did that for me I was like I had a full 360 degree scan By actual Honestly my videographer

In Sydney He's like my brother Hamish I came to record the whole thing I was just like And I didn't have paint on me I'm literally That's so good

Do you love the sculpture of yourself? I love it. Yeah. I got one of me when I was pregnant and I actually wish I'd done her straight after she was born again. Yeah. Because I've got, because you celebrate, and this is what it kind of stresses me out,

that you celebrate the pregnant body so much. And I've got loads of like this photo of me, it's like some really stunning. I love that photo. Alex Cameron. I love her. Yeah, me too. The photo that she did of me naked was like so stunning.

I love it so much. But I did so much of that celebration and I haven't really turned myself postpartum into art, which is annoying, because I did quite a lot. Well, I would disagree with that. I think you're honestly really doing amazing things online. Thanks. I honestly, truly believe that.

I think you're changing a lot of people's views about how they look at themselves. I hope so. You agreed. Guys, take the nice stuff. Oh, thanks. No, I just, thanks. Keep a comment. No, I think, I don't know, I just think it's, I don't know, I just, I love the idea that it's all.

And I like the idea that I'm even exploring how to make. it more art you know how to make um to celebrate my body i don't think i'd have done that if i wasn't seeing i don't think a lot of women would be if they weren't seeing what you're creating i think prolific's great i know i mean i'm in too mind about it yeah i mean there's just some days i'm just like but also in my head like people that have like collected my artwork and literally kept me alive and kept my dream alive forever and bought the stuff i kind of feel like i owe them a investment yeah do you know what i mean because it is really expensive so there's a bit of that in me wanting to make sure that everyone's good and also there's a bit of

like yeah I mean I mentioned before a chip on my shoulder about the prestige of it all and but also I think I have actually just decided that I'm just going to fuck it yeah how fun because it's changing actually and also the artists now have the power like surely that's what I was thinking with social media now like yeah that feels like really old school antiquated that that kind of system, that elite system. Do you know what though? Like I went to the tape the other day with my parents was like the first thing I did when I got back here

and there was a Turner exhibition. And I read his, and the reason these institutions and galleries exist, there's beautiful massive buildings and there's kids there enjoying artwork and it's free and they've got huge resources to be able to provide a massive space and get young people involved and loving art and appreciating artwork,

that's the side I love about it. And that's the side that I want to be like, I want in on that as like, to be recognised as them as someone that was changing the game in a different way. Totally. And have my artwork on display there that's always free because, you know,

I might not have that gallery forever. It costs me an arm and a leg. Like, it's actually really not a very good commercial decision for me to have that gallery. If that goes, like I want a place for, you know, to spread my message about the love for your body. in a big museum and on the wall

and it said it was a Turner exhibition he had his own independent gallery in Soho when he was 28 I was like I was like same

and he was like his entire career he was shunned by establishment and it wasn't and his dying wish was to be yeah and then he was and then I just think I don't want to die before it happens you know what I mean

You could fake your own death I could debt I've thought about that so many time The prices Logistically quite difficult And they're not going to bring the prices Back down again So like then you're getting everybody

Their return on investment So great everyone's going to love you And then you'll come back and be like We're like yay And then everybody will be like yay thanks Yeah I don't think anyone will be very cross It's not like you're in debt

Yeah I mean I honestly But this is why I love being an artist Because you can do anything around And then when everyone's art Yeah And then when everyone's making

loads of money then you can pop back up and you'll be a hero because you just made everyone loads of money and then you get to keep making more up yeah and if it goes badly and the police are like can't do that you'd be like sorry just the girl yeah just an artist just an artist yeah what my like I think it'll be fine do you reckon no I do need another stunt I'd need another stunt that might be a bit big yeah did you see one I got myself in a box 24 hours yeah that looked horrible I got a UTI midway through I was Pissing blood in a box. Oh my God.

It was awful. Luckily, I managed to get antibiotics on the phone. I thought, thank you for modern medicine, allowing me to do this. Did they do? Did you bring them from the box? I said, look, I'm stuck in a box. I've got a UTI. It's pretty terrible.

I'm pissing in a port-a-loo, a chemical toilet. That's why I got it. Oh my God, this is going to be so out of context. If you don't know what I'm about, but basically, yeah. Okay, yeah, don't do that stuff again. They'd be much nicer stunt. But I feel like I couldn't even do it in 24 hours and David Blaine did it for 40 days.

You know what comparison is, Sophie? Beef of Joy. Take a pace on you. Oh, you're so good. Yeah. You're so good. Yeah, we'll figure out something. I'm excited.

I'm excited to see what it might be. But David Blaine hasn't got 10,000 nudes from nude up, you know, women. Yeah, he doesn't. No. And if he did, I think we'd be asking questions. I'd like what you do with all those, David? Weird. oh well thank you so much

I'm so excited for your show I've got so much I can't always where are you going good on yeah I know fair I know taking the kid that's a good excuse

yeah thank you for making me wash my hair Peggy's making me wash mine and mine yes they said she was going to wash her hair come on I was like she's washing her so I guess I have to wash mine I never do that

I don't do that either look at it's good clean. And your bye is so exciting. I know, I know. You were my first interview back. Oh, mate. Yeah. Congratulations. Big moves. Big moves. The biggest. Very big. Thanks so much. So we love you. Thank you. Bye. Should I delete that is part of the ACAS creator network.