ABOUT ARTIST - SOFIA PAVLOVA

Artist, Coach and Explorer of the Inner World. Born 1999 · Izhevsk, Russia — Kyiv, Ukraine — The Netherlands

BIOGRAFY

Sofia Pavlova was born in 1999 in Izhevsk, Russia. From early childhood, her world was filled with music and drawing

At the age of 19, after losing her beloved grandmother, Sofia turned to intuitive drawing as a way to heal from grief. This became the starting point of her journey toward self-discovery

“I always felt like an outsider. It was difficult for me to understand who I was and where I belonged. My life seemed like a constant movement between extremes — from being social and playing in a band to isolating myself in work and sports, from diving into spiritual exploration to focusing on building material stability. Yet I always knew that each of these experiences carried meaning and growth. Deep down, I wanted to create a life where I could help others find their own path”

In January 2022, after the war began in Ukraine, Sofia moved to the Netherlands to continue her journey in a safe environment. There, with time and space to truly focus inward, she realized:

“I want to be an artist”

Soon after, Sofia organized her first exhibition “Hidden Layers” at Landhuis in Zwolle

“It was my first project — something I dedicated myself to for a long time. After the exhibition, I withdrew again. I felt it was hard to stay present in the outer world, realizing that many things within me still needed understanding and healing”

Some time later, Sofia was diagnosed with ADHD, autism, and PTSD, and many missing pieces of her inner puzzle finally came together. This became the beginning of a new phase — acceptance and healing

“I discovered somatic therapy and bodywork and intuitively combined them with free drawing. Working with images, feelings, the subconscious, and the body helped me reconnect my fragmented parts. I’m becoming more whole, and with that, clarity about who I am and what I bring into this world slowly unfolds”

Today, Sofia shares her experience and knowledge with others, helping people with neurodivergence live in harmony with themselves. She offers coaching sessions focused on self-acceptance, embodiment, and emotional transformation

“I no longer try to define myself or fit into a box. ‘I’ is a fluid concept — it’s who I am and what I feel right now. Art has become a tool for transformation, a way to express and process deep emotions and inner experiences”

ART

In her artwork, Sofia places a strong emphasis on color, as someone highly sensitive to shades and tones due to her neurodivergent perception

“Color is my emotional language. A single color — or the combination of two — can make my heart tighten, send shivers through my body, make me take a deep breath, or even shed a tear”

Her style naturally shifts between abstraction and figuration, yet color remains the central value in all her work

“I love the sense of mysticism when I create. On one hand, I am the one painting; on the other, it feels as if something within me — something older, wiser, deeper — is guiding my hand. That voice is what leads me through life, and it’s the only thing I truly trust”

For Sofia, art is not only creative expression but also a spiritual practice — a way to connect with something greater than oneself

“We live in a profound, multi-layered, and spiritual world. We are more than just human beings”

Art exhibition

Hidden Layers — Het Langhuis, 2023

Merlijn Pfieffer & Sophia Pavlova — Het Langhuis, 2025