​
​
Soni Lopez-Chavez was born in Cuitzeo de Abasolo, Guanajuato, Mexico, and immigrated to the United States as a child, eventually settling in San Diego’s border region. A first-generation immigrant, Soni became deeply involved in the local art scene, curating group shows and co-founding La Bodega gallery in Barrio Logan in 2013, just blocks from historic Chicano Park.
After the gallery’s closure in 2020 due to gentrification and the pandemic, Soni shifted from acrylic painting and muralism to digital illustration. Her vibrant work, rooted in her Chichimeca heritage and bicultural experience, uplifts marginalized communities while addressing themes like Indigenous sovereignty, immigration, mental health, self-love, and social justice.
Soni has published several books, including a trilingual food-themed coloring book with text in Spanish, Nahuatl, and English, and a holidays-themed coloring book celebrating cherished traditions like Día de Muertos and Christmas. Her digital art has gone viral across social media, resonating widely for its empowering messages and striking visual storytelling.
Through her work, Soni continues to challenge stereotypes, celebrate cultural identity, and advocate for awareness, healing, and representation.
Selected Clients
Urban Decay, Adobe Spark, Fierce by mitú, Diva Cup, Planned Parenthood, GoFundMe- Creators for Kindness, NBC Universal, Native Governance Center,
El Tecolote Newspaper, Nomad Donuts, Proof Alliance, Little-Brown and Company, Voice of San Diego, SD Latino Film Festival,
Little- Brown And Company, NPNA, CAIR Coalition, PROOF Alliance, Geez Magazine, Hip Latina, Daisie, Phoenix Midwife, Nordest Media Inc.,
Uprise Theatre, Native American Health Center WIC, Dr. Hortencia Jiménez, Adriana Palomares, Equity In The Center, Little Justice Leaders, NE Valley Health Corporation, Bad Ass Mother Birther, Armas Body Therapy, Healing Corazones Psychotherapy, Inc, Leah Fellers.
Media
