Sonia Lazo

You can't look at Sonia and not know she's an artist.

And a fashionista, at that. All from Instagram.      

An artist and Illustrator, recently graduated from the Universidad Matías Delgado in San Salvador, Sonia is dedicated to transmitting messages of inclusion, queer-positivity and diversity through her art:



In order to understand why these are important, I think it's necessary to consider the context: El Salvador is a very conservative, religious country. LGBTQ+ lives aren't valued at the same level as the rest (shaming is the norm, as are slurs and exclusion). While the new generations are becoming much more accepting of queer lives, there are still exceptions: Sonia seeks to educate through art about these "alternative" ways of living and loving, and putting a face to the prejudice.

She recently launched an exposition of "Angry Women" (below), a jab at the offensive rhetoric used in the 2016 American political campaign, that featured different women with angry faces, and positive messages beneath, as a symbol of how angry women are when forced to adapt.

Another theme (or character) that features strongly in Lazo's work is the Mexican painter and writer Frida Kahlo:

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Her quirky, eclectic and unique style have garnered a pretty large (for an artist) fan group on Instagram: 24,600 followers. She preaches body positivity, self-love, and imbues a healthy dose of Latin American zest in all her work.

Even as an illustrator, she's branched off into entrepreneurship; Lazo has worked with Coca-Cola, as well as different partnerships with smaller, local brands:

Coca-Cola Foundation bottle decor, 2016

As well as collaborations with bigger brands, Sonia diversified her stock- not only does she sell prints of her work (nicely framed in colorful wood), but also produces stickers in limited editions, pins, sew-on patches, and "zines", or little illustrated comic books in which she tells the story of a particular person.

She sells her art in "El Mercadito", a bi-monthly Salvadoran hub for local artists to come together in a cultural space (sometimes a park, or a museum, or an open-air pavilion) and showcase and sell their products. I'll be talking more about El Mercadito in further posts, as it's an initiative that was kick-started and is still run by the artists' collective... A powerful indication that hints that civic engagement in the form of art and community participation in cultural events isn't dead.

Sonia Lazo also ships through her online store, and can be followed on Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook and Behance.

I hope you decide to check out Sonia's sites and contribute to Salvadoran talent! Especially one as quirky and fun as Lazo's-- one that has a positive impact through education and showcasing of different lifestyles. I've got a couple of her prints on the pinboard by my desk; very colorful, very cheap addition that is sure to liven the spirits of a room up!

Keep happy and keep artsy!