Statement
My work represents the iconography of my past and the present life. I am inspired by the symbols and crafts of my Filipino cultural heritage, my experiences as a first generation Filipino American, and my perceptions of the world we live in today. Through my artwork, my primary intentions are to create awareness of the Filipino American experience. I am a mixed media artist, sometimes combining painting, collage, basketry, weaving, papermaking, or embroidery in my work. By incorporating the utilitarian Philippine Islands crafts of basketry, weaving, papermaking, and embroidery, I bridge the gap between my past cultural heritage to the present.
Bio
Sonia Asistin Betts is a first-generation Filipino American. Recently, she excavated her cultural roots and found that her heritage reached beyond Northern California where she was born. In researching the Philippine Islands, she discovered a rich heritage consisting of 3000 B.C. cave paintings, an indigenous script dating back to the 13th century, and a mythology which supported agrarian societies with rice deities to protect the crops. She studied Filipino utilitarian crafts such as woodworking, basketry, weaving, papermaking, tattooing, and embroidery. Based on this newfound knowledge, she utilizes these cultural references and icons in her artwork. Sonia is a mixed media artist, combining painting, collage, basketry, weaving, and embroidery in her work.
While in the graphic design field, she owned her own business and was a community college graphic design teaching assistant. After an extensive corporate career in the Human Resources profession, she became a full-time artist. Her multidisciplinary experiences and knowledge merge in her creation of cultural and social/political statements.
