Sophie Koko Gate and the art of being slightly unhinged

World building is at the heart of Sophie’s practice. She immerses herself in researching, drawing and writing, “sticking it all up on a wall and staring at the wall until I can find connections, jokes, anything that touches the heart.” Both richly imaginative and grounded in human experience, Sophie carefully plays with the line between reality and surrealism, offering audiences moments that are strange and surprisingly tender.

Watching her films feels like waking up from the craziest dream, thinking “wtf” and then picking up your phone to tell someone about it. Her characters are slightly exaggerated versions of real people; strange, sometimes sensual, and always vulnerable. Something that makes her characters feel unique is how she treats their voices. She has worked with actors and non-actors, noting, “with actors, I will give them a certain scenario to imagine that isn’t necessarily what the picture shows. It’s also essential to erase any preconceptions people may have about animation character acting. I want my voices to feel human and not cartoonified in any way. It’s that juxtaposition that I like to play with in my work."

Her projects are defined by vibrant colour, playful forms, and richly textured worlds that feel both intimate and expansive. Whether through 2D design or 3D textures, Sophie approaches each project as a creative ecosystem. Frustrated by the rigidity of traditional pipelines, she taught herself 3D animation and invested in motion capture technology so she could regain a sense of autonomy and play. “I wanted to be able to experiment and be spontaneous,” she says, describing the freedom of performing movement herself and discovering ideas inside the software. “Thanks to mocap, I made my Milk Bath film by myself in one intense month.”

Sophie thrives under constraints, finding freedom in limitation: “I like fast moving, it suits me! I find time constraints help me creatively because there’s a limitation. There’s only so many ideas you can have in a short space of time – and with pressure my mind is better at making creative decisions. With my short films I have to set these imaginary boundaries myself. I always approach commercial work with the same ethos as my short films, trying to embody the character or world that I’m creating so that I’m fully immersed in it.”

Sophie has collaborated with brands including Nike, Adult Swim, Vice, Airbnb, and Google Pixel, bringing her distinctive narrative sensitivity to her commercial work. She gravitates towards projects that embrace imperfection and personality, helping brands translate their values into visual stories that feel both authentic and memorable.

In a world of generated imagery, she firmly believes human imperfections and alternative styles will become more and more desirable. She knows this first hand, as clients come to her for her unconventional style and ideas.“What can I say," she smiles, “some brands just have excellent bad taste.” From fast-moving campaigns to longer-form shorts, Sophie’s process balances rigorous conceptual thinking with playful experimentation, ensuring every piece carries emotional weight and cultural nuance.

Beyond her commercial and commissioned work, Sophie is an active community builder and educator, founding The Neighbours Zine to encourage real-world interaction and delivering talks at festivals and universities. “Community is essential to life, especially at a time when so many of us are isolated, working from home, staring at our phones,” she says. “Communication is faster and easier than ever but at the expense of real human connection. Art enriches life, life enriches art… Bringing people together is one of the most important things you can do as an artist, and a human being.”

Her films, including Slug Life and Hotel Kalura, have screened at Sundance, SXSW, and the Ottawa Animation Festival. Across illustration, animation, and character-led storytelling, Sophie offers brands a rare combination of craft, imagination, and insight. But above all, we think it is her wry sense of humour that makes Sophie so appealing.

And just like that - as intriguing and strange as her work - it all ends with six words: “Oh and I’m a practicing clown.”

See Sophie's work here.