Bio

Martin Sorger’s interest in drawing and painting began at an early age and eventually led him to the University of Rochester where he studied with Michael Venezia and received degrees in Fine Arts and Art History, and then Pratt Institute, where he received a Master’s in Communications Design. Despite receiving early attention for his art, Martin embarked on a successful career in high-end graphic design for clients ranging from tech start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. Migrating to the corporate side, Sorger spent a decade as a creative director for a wide range of firms, including a Hollywood film production company, a multimedia technology developer, and an online gambling group. This challenging, high-pressure work left only a limited amount time for sporadic bursts of painting. 

A reawakened passion

Since 2018, Sorger has refocused his time and attention on painting, and moved from encaustic works to painting on paper. This transition was partially inspired by a design project for a Japanese tea company, which led to extensive exploration with ink and brushes on paper. It was the first time in his 35 years as a designer that Sorger’s commercial work and creative life overlapped. It was an intersection that proved serendipitous. Says Sorger: “Working on paper gives me a way to move forward and explore new challenges, searching for new ways to balance minimalism and expressiveness.”