Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Soto (LESSA).
Hi Alicia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Since the moment I was born, I’ve been watching my mother paint and do crafts on our kitchen table. Endless materials and tools to explore my creativity made it inevitable for me not to fall in love with art. At first I was just mimicking what my mother and older sister did wanting to be like, but little by little the understanding that I could express and fulfill what my soul wanted by drawing made it slowly turn from just a hobby to a lifelong passion.
With the support and blessing of my family, I was able to study art in college and extend my knowledge alongside like minded people. Now, a year after graduating I’m still trying to place my foot in this very competitive world, but I know my journey is just beginning and I’m proud of what I have achieved so far.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being an artist in a place where creativity and art are often considered not a necessity has definitely made it a challenge to overcome, sometimes the challenge in itself is not about having enough talent or determination but something else entirely.
For an artist to conquer in this day and age of technology, you have to become a brand in itself, be able to communicate to likeminded people, make connections, and most importantly loosing the fear in doing things that might make you embarrassed.
Aside from societal struggles, I’m sure I can speak for many artists when I say that the hardest obstacle is often oneself. Uncertainty if my work is good enough for it to be accepted to be exhibited, no longer producing art because you feel you are going nowhere turns into the hardest struggle to overcome.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I mainly focus on oil painting, watercolor and digital media. My work and its meaning has definitely evolved since I’ve finished art school but deep down the core of it has remained the same, wanting to connect.
Representing humans and other beings wanting to be known and heard. Messes of daily life, electronic waste, and hoarding of beloved goods are frequently represented in my works as well as the similarities of angels and computers. Angels are intended to guide people toward truth or simply a tool to soothe the minds of those who suffer, and to instill belief in something higher they don’t fully understand, much like computers. Both are destined for the function of communication and staying connected, one through God and the other through information and community. Their purpose is to represent the bond between them, the similarity they share, which is explored in these works.
I think what sets me apart from other artists are the elements that often appear in the background of my paintings like little easter eggs, cherished items from childhood that might spark something in the viewer or simply the grand amount of things in the foreground might cause you to get lost in the details.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I’m an introverted and shy person so networking has always been very hard for me, often choosing to not go to events out of fear or anxiousness. Although what has helped me is maintaining the friendships I made during art school and participating in events made by them. Mouth to mouth is also a very powerful tool, friends and family that have gotten a commission from me recommend my work to their peers as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/lessa_00
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lessa__00/
- InPrnt: https://www.inprnt.com/profile/lessa_00/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lessa_00z
