I’m Vania Soto
My work exists at the intersection of realism and emotion
Vania Soto
Vania Alvidrez de Zamora
She/Her
I use bold, often unexpected palettes to create tension, discomfort, and intensity—emotions that invite the viewer to pause and confront what is being conveyed.
I am interested in moments of uncertainty, when fear or curiosity opens space for reflection.
In that space, color speaks directly to emotion, bypassing logic and narrative.
Through murals and commissioned paintings based on photographic references, I translate lived experience into visual language, using color as a primary tool for communication rather than decoration.
While the figures and forms I paint are grounded in reality, the emotional atmosphere surrounding them moves toward the surreal, existing not in nature but in imagination, memory, and feeling.
Color functions as its own voice within my work.
My process is intuitive and grounded in realism, with a deliberate shift toward surrealism through color.
I begin with a photographic reference to anchor the work, then allow instinct and emotion to guide each decision that follows. Accuracy is less important than emotional truth. Saturation, exaggeration, and distortion emerge as responses to feeling rather than environment.
At the core of my practice is a desire to inspire creative freedom and self-expression.
I want viewers to remember their own capacity for imagination and to trust their instincts. My work encourages emotional honesty and creative courage, reminding viewers that expression is both necessary and powerful.
Whether working on large-scale public murals or intimate commissions, I see myself as both observer and translator.
I translate emotion into form and color into language, transforming personal experience into shared space.
Through this work, I aim to create encounters that are emotionally charged, reflective, and ultimately liberating. These visual conversations invite vulnerability, curiosity, and courage, encouraging viewers to remain creative, expressive, and emotionally present within themselves always today.
vania Soto In the Media
KC gallery owner who found her voice in her art, makes space for others to speak out
(Kansascity.com)
A Latina muralist in Kansas City brings walls to life and inspires young artists along the way
(Kcur.org)
Soto shares how the pandemic affected her work as an artist
(dosmundos.com)
Artspeak Radio – KKFI Interview
(schliefkevision.com)
https://youtu.be/smvu-zD76rs?si=0Uudv-c2qPrqZRbJ
Ep18 - Vania Soto | KC Artist | Monarca Art Space
(ENTERRUPT KC)
Vania Soto - Artist/Muralist/Teacher Profile
(KSHB.com)
Hispanic Heritage Month: Vania Soto, Owner of Monarca Art Space
(unitedwaygkc.org)
The Art of Vania Soto
