Sophie-Yen Bretez, a self-taught emerging artist, currently lives and works in Paris. Originally from Vietnam, Bretez moved to France at a young age, blending her rich cultural heritage into her multifaceted artistic practice. After earning a master’s degree from Neoma Business School in 2018, she held various management positions in Paris before pursuing her passion for art full-time in 2021. Bretez's art combines autobiographical elements with narrative identity, characterized by dream-like surrealist figuration and the depiction of complex emotional states. She often includes illuminated horizons in her work, symbolizing hope and recovery for those who have suffered.

Bretez's work is a bold challenge to the traditional male gaze, using reverse voyeurism and evident nudity to redefine our societal relationship with the naked female body. The women in her paintings look directly at the viewer, asserting control over their own bodies and creating a sense of distance. Starting each painting with a poem linked to memory, Bretez infuses her art with a deep narrative layer, addressing political, societal, philosophical, and existential themes. Her pieces blur the boundaries of 'safe' spaces, merging intimate and universal experiences, and inviting viewers into a continuous dialogue about identity, resilience, and empowerment.