Sophia van der Bank

The door creaks open… Welcome to Studio Black Stockings.

My name is Sophia, and I am the creative heart behind the alias of Mrs. H, short for Mrs. Helichrysum. I am a self-taught illustrator, painter, and writer, born and raised on a remote farm tucked away in the Rhodes area of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. I am 29.

Today, I live in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, a place full of new inspirations and contrasts that continue to shape my creative journey. The name Mrs. Helichrysum was inspired by the yellow Helichrysum flowers that grow abundantly where I come from—hardy little blooms that seem to hold the sun. Mrs. H is whoever the heart needs her to be. To me, she is both stability and freedom.

Although I’ve been painting for much of my life, it’s only over the past seven years that I’ve begun to pursue it with full commitment and passion. My art is meant to stir emotion. Though always open to interpretation, there’s a thread that runs through it all: the figure of Mrs. H, with her white-striped stockings and jacket dresses. Whether it’s a whimsical illustration or a deeply heartfelt painting on canvas, she is there.

My pieces are often accompanied by words—a poem, a phrase, or a quiet message—something that speaks to the viewer in an honest and relatable way. Like the works from my series There Should Be Room for Us Too (some I have entered for this submission). In it, Mrs. H looks to the left, a gentle rebellion, choosing the path less traveled. The fish represent the societal current, always nudging us to go with the flow. But the birds… they stand for freedom, freedom from the whispers, the trends, the fads, and frills.

The door creaks closed again…
Thank you for stopping by.


Instagram: @mrs.h.in.blackstockings