Sofía Luz Pérez is a Mexican American artist born in Austin, Texas in 1989, and raised in central New York.  Her exhibition, “My Shadow is My Teacher” is on view at ArtRage until May 18, 2024.

Sofía’s work deals with the experiences she’s had with healing illness, and by the healing of generational family trauma. She began drawing self-portraits to document the healing process in the aftermath of a diagnosis of a health condition.
Her work is autobiographical; however, it also has universal qualities. She often portrays herself in the face of adversity but with a strong, stoic resolve.

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 has shown her work in numerous juried shows including at 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, the Art Association of Oswego, NY, and the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn, NY. Her work was accepted into the Best of SUNY show 2022 and won Best in Show. She graduated with a BFA in Studio Art with a painting concentration from SUNY Oswego in December 2021.

Sofía Luz Pérez’s Artist Statement
My practice stems from an inner narrative that I’m working through. Much of my work has been inspired by the experience I’ve had with healing illness, and by the healing of generational family trauma. I address the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of those processes. I began drawing self-portraits to document my healing process in the aftermath of the diagnosis of a health condition. Since then, I often depict a fusion of self-portraiture and images of empowerment with symbolism from my ancestral heritage. I often reference archetypes through the powerful goddess imagery from Aztec mythology. I began my exploration into my ancient indigenous heritage many years ago, and it has been a key component in my creative practice.

My work is autobiographical however it also has universal qualities. I often portray myself in the face of adversity but with a strong, stoic resolve. I’m interested in the duality of the light and shadow aspects of our experience and how they inform one another. In my practice, I use symbolism and color to address this dual nature, which is often characteristic of the duality of many of the ancient goddess archetypes.