Studio Black Stockings: Sophia van der Bank (Mrs. Helichrysum) on Myth, Femininity, and the Power of Play

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 find myself living 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, 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.

Follow Studio Black Stockings on Instagram: @mrs.h.in.blackstockings

Interview

Mrs. H is such a powerful and distinctive figure in your work. How did she first appear to you, and what made you realize she would become a central thread in your practice?
As someone who often struggles to articulate things out loud but finds clarity through writing, I thought, why not give myself an alias? A voice box of sorts. Someone who could feel like a warm hug, or like two hands wrapped around a coffee mug on a winter’s day. And so, Mrs. H came to life on a visit to my parents’ in their living room one ordinary winter’s evening. I was sitting on the floor with a coffee, painting a spontaneous little illustration on a scrap of paper, not giving it much thought, when the idea of Mrs. H simply dawned on me. She’s been with me ever since.

Birds and fish often carry symbolic meaning in your paintings. How do you choose which symbols to include, and what do they add to the larger narrative of Mrs. H’s world?
Birds often find their way into my paintings because, to me, they represent truth—and truth, for me, is Christ. Truth matters; it sets you free. Fish, on the other hand, symbolize society’s constant nudging and poking, that pressure to conform and swim with the stream. Mrs. H doesn’t give them much notice. You’ll find that she’s always looking to the left—unconventional, choosing the road less traveled. Whether I include birds, fish, both, or none at all also depends on the composition of each piece, as they’re never just decorative, but part of the story being told.


You describe Mrs. H as both personal and universal, belonging to everyone. What kinds of responses or stories from viewers have surprised or moved you the most?
I know that to some, she has become a soft place to land, a comfort character, even a well of wisdom. (I’m still learning from her myself and often aspire to be more like her.) Some viewers have shared very moving emotional responses to Mrs. H, and that always humbles me. I suppose we all value beauty and gentle advice from someone who feels a little like a popsicle on a hot summer’s afternoon—refreshing, unexpected, and just what you needed.

As someone who works across painting, illustration, and writing, how do words and images speak to each other in your practice? Do you see them as inseparable or as distinct layers?
For me, words and images usually go hand in hand, almost like a well-choreographed dance. One leads, the other follows, and together they create something complete. Yes, there are times when a painting doesn’t need words at all—it’s simply meant to be enjoyed on its own. But the larger dialogue is always there: the birds, the fish, and of course, Mrs. H. She is my mouthpiece, and I love being able to let her speak through both paint and words, as if the two were never really meant to be separated.


Living between South Africa and Dubai, how have these very different environments shaped your art and the stories you tell through Mrs. H?
When I’m in Dubai, I often find myself painting about nature and themes that run deeper than surface level, almost as if I’m reaching for the quiet and the rootedness I long for there. In South Africa, my work takes on a different flavor: I write about adventure and fiction, and my paintings seem to mirror that sense of story and exploration. I suppose I’m confronted with different lives in each country, and naturally that shapes my art. I adore my season in the UAE, but much of what I create there leans toward longing for depth, for truth, for nature, for quietness. But isn’t that just the human experience? Each of us carries a story that no one else can quite replicate.

Your art explores the courage to step outside of social norms and embrace individuality. How has creating Mrs. H influenced your own journey of self-acceptance?
Good question! I’ve realized that if I keep comparing myself in looks, intellect, dialogue, or status to the endless magnitude of people who don’t even know I exist, I will always fall short. And yet we put this pressure on ourselves, don’t we? One day I simply accepted it. Acceptance isn’t quick; it takes years of practice and sober realizations.
Mrs. H became my comfort character too. She’s unapologetically herself. She’s got a big old snozzle—so do I. She loves color—so do I. She is uncompromising in her values, and I try. She speaks honestly about what troubles her and what delights her—and I try. Because I have seen how warmly my audience has accepted her, it has helped me too, to realize that it’s okay to be myself, because ultimately, she is someone who came straight out of my heart.

Mrs. H embodies the kind of friend I think we all need at some point along the way.


What upcoming projects, exhibitions, or dreams for Mrs. H are you most excited about right now?
A big dream of mine is to see Mrs. H published in a little book, one filled with her whimsy and wisdom, frolicking across the pages in her signature black-and-white striped stockings and her big orange nose. I’m currently working on a few illustrations with the hope of submitting them for publication. (I had some no’s before in the past. I will try again.)

What excites me most is that Mrs. H gives such a wide scope to play and dream. There’s so much she can become, and I feel like we’ve only just begun to explore her world.