Sofia Saleh
Sofia Saleh is a New York-based artist of Franco-Algerian and Yemenite descent, with ancestral roots in the Ouled Nail tribe. Her work investigates the traces people leave behind and the hidden stories within these remnants. After earning her degree from Aix-en-Provence University, her artistic journey took a personal turn following the loss of her father to suicide. This loss ignited her exploration of human imprints in urban spaces.
In 2013, Saleh moved to New York City, where she began using discarded gum as a central medium. For her, gum represents an intimate and often overlooked trace of individuality, encapsulating the essence of those who once occupied a space. This material allows her to address broader themes of identity, collective memory, and human presence. Through gum and other media, Saleh links individual marks to larger narratives, reflecting on the impact of war, hunger, and violence against women and children.
Saleh’s practice extends to performance art and printmaking, often engaging public spaces to create immersive experiences. Her interdisciplinary approach merges the delicate and the urgent, addressing personal and universal themes.
Her work has been showcased at La MaMa Galleria in New York during the Every Woman Biennial and at the Monira Foundation at Mana Contemporary in New Jersey. In 2022, her performance in Washington Square Park was featured in Washington Square News. Based in New York, she is an active member of Mana Contemporary, where she continues to develop her socially conscious practice.
Artist Statement
My work explores the traces of human presence in public spaces, focusing on the overlooked remnants people leave behind. This journey began after losing my father to suicide. While my art is not explicitly about death, it is rooted in the quiet footprints of everyday life—seemingly insignificant moments that resonate deeply with human experience.
Following research in France, I moved to New York City, where I began using discarded gum as a symbolic medium. Each piece represents more than a physical trace; it holds a story, a mark of individuality, and even fragments of DNA. Through my work, I capture these invisible narratives, reflecting on the human condition and life’s ephemeral nature.
Rather than using actual gum, I work with natural chicle, melting and coloring it with pigments to emphasize individuality. This material becomes both a medium and a metaphor for identity and the traces we leave behind.
My father’s death and childhood experiences profoundly inform my practice. Observing people in their connections and solitude inspires me. Recently, my focus has expanded to global humanitarian crises and violence against women and children. These events bring urgency to my work, exploring how personal and collective traumas intersect.
The dynamic nature of my practice reflects my shifting focus, always attuned to what moves me in the present. Using gum grounds my exploration of life’s fragility, the resilience of the human spirit, and the indelible marks we leave—no matter how small.
https://www.instagram.com/sof.saleh
