Sonya Fe facts for kids

Sonya Fe (born in 1952) is an American painter. She grew up in Los Angeles, California. Her art often explores important social and cultural topics.

About Sonya Fe

Sonya Fe was born in 1952 in Los Angeles. She was one of eight children. Her mother was Jewish-American, and her father was Narragansett and Mexican-American. When she was young, Sonya lived in the William Mead Housing Project in Downtown Los Angeles. She saw a lot of the Chicano art movement happening around her. This movement was a big influence on her art. At age 13, Sonya won a special scholarship. This allowed her to attend a summer art program at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. She later earned her college degree from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Today, Sonya Fe lives in Elk Grove, California. She is married to Arturo Vasquez, who writes children's books. They have a son who works as a graphic designer.

Sonya Fe's Art

Sonya Fe's paintings often show social and cultural issues. She focuses on themes like the role of women in society and the well-being of children. She once said that the faces in her paintings are very detailed. This makes the faces the most important part of her art. She wants viewers to focus on the feelings and connections between the women she paints. Sonya Fe also illustrated a children's book called You Can Draw Too. She helped start the company that published it, Publishing Children’s Stories. In 1998, she received a national Artist Award from the California State Senate. As a Hispanic American artist, Sonya Fe's work highlights issues of fairness and equality. Her art has been shown in magazines like Forbes Sunstorm Magazine, Sacramento Magazine, and Sixteen Magazine. One art review described her work as "a collage of transparent tissues." It noted how her paintings can look both solid and see-through at the same time. They seem to glow with a gentle, yet strong, light. Sonya Fe's art has been displayed all over the country. Her paintings are part of important collections. These include collections owned by actress CCH Pounder and actor Cheech Marin. Her work is also at the Smithsonian Institution. In Los Angeles, she worked with other artists to help restore the Great Wall of Los Angeles. This is a very long mural that tells the story of California's history.

"Are You With Me?" Exhibit

One of Sonya Fe's most famous art shows was called "Are You With Me?". It was open from October 2021 to May 2022. The exhibit featured 27 oil paintings and 18 mixed-media drawings. This show was like a story of her own life. It also showed how society often decides women's roles. The exhibit also explored the innocence of children. Sonya Fe explained the exhibit by saying, "I want the viewer to stand with me while looking at the world." She wanted people to feel, see, and understand her message. She asked them, "Are you with me?" The "Are You With Me?" exhibit was put together by Norma Chairez-Hartell. After being shown at the Riverside Art Museum, it traveled to other places across the country.

Where Her Art Is Collected

Sonya Fe's artwork can be found in many museums and collections, including:

• National Museum of Mexican Art
• Museo Del Barrio in New York, New York
• Carnegie Museum in Oxnard, California
• Morris Graves Museum in Eureka, California
• Museum of Contemporary Hispanic Art in New York, New York
• San Diego Art Museum in San Diego, California
• Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C.