Sonia Lazo
Sonia Lazo is a Berlin-based illustrator, originally from El Salvador. Shop her Llorona T-shirt here.
Originally from El Salvador, you’re now based in Berlin. How do you think both these places have shaped you as an artist?
I lived most of my life, 30 years, in El Salvador, until I moved to Berlin almost two years ago, so I was definitely shaped by my context back home. I feel that living in such a small, beautiful, but also difficult country, makes you super aware of your surroundings from a very young age. There’s so much warmth and vibrancy that I think stuck with me and you can see that in my art, also how much I love bright colours and maximalism. However there are also complex emotions behind that, negative feelings that I express through my characters; there can be sadness, frustration and anger.
Moving to another country changed my quality of life completely, just the fact that I am able to walk alone in the streets and feel safe is such a relief. Being able to use good public transport and not have to rely on cars, dressing even weirder than before and people not caring about that, it really is refreshing. There is more freedom and experimentation in my art now, and I feel I can grow more as an artist here.
I feel I can grow more as an artist here
Why is solidarity across Latinx communities around the globe important?
I believe that most, if not all, countries from Latinoamérica suffer from similar issues, regarding violence, bad political situations, poverty, and so on. So it’s very easy to feel empathy and understand each other. Every time I’ve met a Latinx person here, we always have the same reasons for why we decided to leave, and we also know it’s not easy to do so. That’s why having Latinx communities is extremely important, and so too the groups and organisations online that are willing to help others. Especially in cultures that are so different from back home, it’s normal to feel alone sometimes, so being around Latinx people, going to Latinx events, will always help with that.
When did you first realise the significance of visual art?
Probably not until I was in college. I mean, I’ve always liked to draw since I was a kid, but I never saw it as something serious until I finished school and had to choose a career path. And then I started studying Artisan Product Design, before switching to Graphic Design, so in the first years I learnt a lot about visual art and how that impacts our lives in general, without us even knowing or being aware. Most importantly, for me, there was the significance of being able to connect with other people through unspoken feelings and emotions, and just with an image.
There is always an emotional aspect
Are you possessive of your ideas as an artist?
I think I really was when I was younger and started working as an illustrator. While I was still in college it was a very competitive scene, so people were always seeing what others were doing and comparing each other. Sometimes there would be rumours and gossip of people copying others’ ‘style’ and so on. That happened to me a couple of times, at first that was something that really affected me, not knowing if it was actually true or just a coincidence. But it’s been so many years since that, and I now feel that in the end we’re not that unique and special. Sometimes we will have the same ideas and thoughts as other artists, and that’s completely okay, it just comes down to how we express or work on those ideas, and being as authentic as we can.
What’s something you still want to achieve in your work?
My main goal is having people connect with my art. My work has definitely changed through time, and now I focus on doing more bright and silly things, but there is always an emotional aspect. I want to make people smile and feel good, even if it’s a sad piece, the fact that they can relate to it is a reminder of how they are not alone, and that offers some comfort. On a more superficial level, I want to expand the type of things that I can apply my art to, and would love to get more into fashion design. Just like with my art, I want to make fun, silly clothes that can make people feel joy.
Vika Álvarez
Vika Álvarez is an artist based in Mexico City. Shop her Sentimental T-shirt here.
How has Mexico shaped you as an artist?
I think, more than the country itself, what has shaped me the most is the experience that we as Mexicans have in Mexico. As women we have to deal with discrimination and violence on a daily basis, it is something I talk about a lot in my work, since I also see art as a medium to demand justice. Even when the work is not explicitly about this, you can always see a part of it come through.
Why is solidarity across Latinx communities around the globe important?
I’ve always seen art as a way to connect with other people. Creativity can be company, understanding and empathy. As Latin Americans we deal with extremely similar experiences around the globe, and seeing them portrayed in other artist’s work can help us feel this will be an end to this eventually, or that, at least, we’re not alone in this.
Creativity can be company
Where do you go for inspiration?
Pain has always been the biggest motivation for my work. But the inspiration comes when I realise that feeling in such a sensitive way, everything that makes me feel pain is the same thing that reminds me of hope and resilience, and my work has its roots in this process of feeling and healing.
When do you feel most creatively satisfied?
When the images I achieve are the closest to the way I dream of them before starting to draw.
When do you know it’s time to give up on something you’re working on?
I think there is a specific time when you realise that something is not communicating what you want in the way that you want it. For me, if the message isn’t obvious or if the artwork is not making me feel what I want my audience to feel, then it’s time to move on to the next drawing.
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