When I first came across visual artist SOFAHOOD I immediately noticed her unique style. I enjoy her sense of color and how she captures people in her illustrations. She also portrays the black queer community through art which being a queer person myself I found really cool. I reached out to Sofa for a personal portrait commission & to ask a few questions about her art.
Tell me about yourself.
My name is Sophia, but I also go by Sofa. I like to consider myself from Atlanta; I’ve been around the city since I was 4. That’s also pretty much when I started creating. I got to skip pre-school, so I spent most of my time at home with my mom, doing crafts and doodling. I never stopped.
How would you describe your style of art? What inspires you?
I would describe my art as revolutionary illustrations. That sounds kind of self-righteous, but I’m drawing people, moments, and emotions that have always been erased. I’m drawing Blackness, queerness, leftism, and my emotions as a Black queer leftist woman. That oppression inspires me to create and manifest validation instead (through art.) And I hope folks like me feel the same way when they see my work.
Why did you choose digital art as your medium?
I’ve been fascinated with digital art since I was little. I used to watch animated shows like Kim Possible and Lilo & Stitch just to watch the prettiness of cartoon-like work. Once I finally earned the means to make the switch from paper to tablet, there was no going back. The artistic possibilities are pretty much endless when you can work with layers, undo buttons, and digital color swatches.
What’s the creation process like for you?
I usually start a piece right after a specific emotion or thought sort of slaps me in the face. I scour the internet for position reference photos first and then, I begin sketching digitally. My favorite part of the entire process might be choosing the color palette. Colors have very specific emotions and moods for me so this step is really crucial in expressing that exact emotion I first felt. After that, it sort of comes together on its own. I just get in my zone and do the work.
How has being a black lesbian artist influenced you?
Most people who don’t know me outside of my artwork don’t know that I actually have a degree in sociology and a certificate in women’s/gender/sexuality studies. During my studies, I found a home in Black lesbian history. Our history is so rich and full of these beautiful, hidden images of the community and our elders. It’s showed me that Black lesbians aren’t “new” to expression; we’re true to it. This is why a lot of my work is recreations of Black lesbian archives. Black lesbian expression gives me comfort and confidence.
What projects are you working on at the moment?
I’m actually in a really experimental stage with my art right now. I’ve been trying to find a very simple, quick way to capture my illustration style so I can finally move on to animation. I’ve been practicing a new portrait style for weeks and posting little examples of it as I go. Once I feel confident in it, I’m gonna do a special portrait sale — Stay tuned!
Any advice for an artist going through a creative block?
Don’t rush through it. Be patient with yourself. Art should never have to be yanked out of you, y’know? If nothing is coming to the surface, maybe it’s because something bigger is brewing up inside. Let that brew and experiment expression elsewhere. Because the art will come when it’s ready.
How can we support you & your artwork?
I’m pretty much always open for commission and I offer a variety of services: gifted portraits, personalized e-mails, logo designs, merchandise designs, tattoo designs, flyer designs, pretty much any and all art. I also have my own website that I want to be shared everywhere: www.sofahood.com. And I’m definitely not opposed to a little random redistribution of wealth; my Cashapp is $ofahood and my Venmo is @SOFAHOOD.
Thanks Sofa for sharing more about yourself & art with us. I look forward to seeing what else you create. I’m so happy with the portrait you made of me!
