Sofía Luz Pérez
Studio Art, Concentration in Painting
[email protected]
Syracuse, NY 13210
Biography
Sofía Luz Pérez was born in Austin, Texas, in 1989 and lives in Syracuse, NY. Her work often depicts ancient feminine archetypes while referencing self-portraiture, bringing together the ancient wisdom of her pre-Colombian cultural heritage with her present-day self. Through this subject matter, she conveys empowerment and healing and delves into themes of hybridity and self-discovery.
Pérez’s work has been published in the Women Artists’ Datebook by the Syracuse Cultural Workers and in the Great Lake Review in Oswego, NY. She’s shown her work in numerous juried shows, including at the Community Folk Art Center in Syracuse, NY, Soho20 Gallery in New York, NY, ArtRage Gallery in Syracuse, NY, the Point of Contact Gallery in Syracuse, NY, Stone Quarry Hill Art Park, in Cazenovia, NY, and the Art Association of Oswego, NY. In the Spring of 2021, she received a Student Scholarly and Creative Activity grant at SUNY Oswego to create a series of paintings in which she fused goddess archetypes and imagery from her ancient cultural heritage with herself. She displayed the series at the Art Association of Oswego in the Summer of 2021. She graduated with her BFA in Studio Art with a concentration in painting in December 2021 and is looking forward to attending an MFA program in the near future.
Artist Statement
My work is a direct result of my inner process. Much of my work has been inspired by the healing journey I’ve gone through following a major health crisis and the healing of generational family trauma. I address both the physical and nonphysical (spiritual) aspects of those processes. Usually, I depict a fusion of self-portraiture and images of empowerment with symbolism from my ancestral heritage. I often reference pre-Columbian archetypes, specifically through powerful goddess imagery from Aztec mythology. I began my exploration into my ancient Mexican indigenous heritage many years ago, and it has been a key component in my creative practice.
While work is autobiographical, I also believe it has universal qualities. I portray myself with somewhat unsettling imagery but with a strong, stoic resolve. I’m interested in conveying these polarities. I want to show both the light and shadow aspects of our nature and experience. In my practice, I use color and symbolism to address this duality, which is often characteristic of many of the ancient goddess archetypes.
