Sonya Sanchez Arias

As a Caribbean-American artist, my work is a dialogue between past, present, and future—an exploration of the “not yet,” the untapped potential of the unformed. I draw on the cultural richness of my native Trinidad and Tobago, juxtaposed with the diverse cultural landscape of my adopted home, here in Palm Beach Florida, to create works that are both deeply personal and universally resonant. My mixed media assemblages, digital collages, and photography engage with identity, beauty, and history, often repurposing found objects and vintage materials to create narratives that speak to my 6th generation Trinidadian roots and experiences.

At the heart of my art is the act of reimagining. Through the use of repurposed materials, photography, collage, and mixed media assemblages, I construct allegories that connect my Caribbean heritage to my American immigrant experience. Central to my work are 3 main yet overlapping bodies of work: EVERY CREED AND RACE-where digitally layered portraits reflect my reflections on diversity, beauty, and feminism, rooted in my early life in the Caribbean and my journey as an immigrant. THEN AND NOW-a journey of remembrance of our ancestors and honoring their sacrifice and untold stories that has created this beautiful hybrid of mixed races and diversity. And the newest COEXIST – a future where coexistence is not a fragile hope, but a living, breathing reality shaped by memory, resilience, and care.

These works invite viewers to engage with the complexities of cultural identity, perceived beauty, and a layered meditation on memory, consequence, and time in a world constantly shifting between tradition and modernity. 

As a mixed media artist, I am drawn to the thrill of the hunt—finding the perfect vintage object, a piece of the past that can be reinterpreted and transformed. I see these objects not as remnants, but as vessels of history, emotion, and spirit. In my hands, they take on new lives, becoming symbols of memory, connection, narratives of transformation and possibility. Each piece I create is a meditation on the power of recontextualization—giving discarded materials new meaning and allowing them to embody untold stories and new histories.

My practice is deeply informed by the idea of “repurposing,” reimagining discarded and alternative materials and found objects in ways that breathe new life into them. This process mirrors my own journey as an artist—finding beauty in the overlooked, the forgotten, and the everyday. It is my intention to inspire others to view the world differently, to see the potential in what is often dismissed, and to find beauty in the unexpected.

Now based in South Florida, I continue to draw inspiration from the multicultural energy that surrounds me, weaving together my Caribbean roots and American realities into vibrant, nostalgic narratives. Through my art, I aim to bridge the gap between the Caribbean and the world beyond, creating a space for dialogue, reflection, and the celebration of the diverse identities that shape us all.