"Thinking Out Loud"
work of Sonya Sanchez Arias
September 6 - November 5, 2022
Rescheduled for Friday October 14, 2022 - 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Saturday, October 15, 2022 - 10 am - 12 pm
Saturday, October 29, 2022 - 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Sonya Sanchez Arias is a true upcycler and brings new life to common items most people would look at as trash. Her work elevates reuse to the point where most observers would not know what the original items was. Sonya pours her heart and soul into her creations and Resource Depot is honored to be exhibiting this retrospective of several of her collections which showcase the breadth of her artistic skills. On exhibit are some of her Mixed Media Assemblages, Art Jewelry and Photography.
"All of my recycled art usually begins with a nagging thought, prompted by current affairs, a quote or a personal challenge. I certainly don’t pretend to have have any of the answers, but through a process of excavation and experimentation with each new piece helps me explore options for closure, and creates a deeper understanding of the topic at hand. Using discarded, recycled and alternative materials allows me to challenge the concept of beauty - for beauty to have meaning, it often needs to have a flip side of darkness. My mixed media art is created in the hope that when someone views my work in person and sees the transformation of the materials used, they will be inspired to think of the "possibilities" of recycling plastics and other alternative materials. I remind them that many of the used materials and single use plastics that would ordinarily be thoughtlessly discarded, have the potential to be repurposed and transformed into something really beautiful and thoughtful with an entirely new reason for existing.
One thing is certain, we all need to do our part and start thinking about the possibilities and potentials for alternative futures using materials that already exist all around us. I am always hopeful that through the process of excavation, discovery, transformation, and exposure, my art connects people, bringing understanding and perspectives that have the potential to challenge norms and expectations. If my work has a mission, it is this: To see the hidden beauty and potential of all things and the possibilities that a different point of view can create."
-Sonya Sanchez Arias
About the Artist
Sonya Sanchez Arias creates one of a kind limited edition upcycled and repurposed Mixed Media Art and Art Jewelry. She has gained recognition for her Recycled Art, both nationally and internationally. Her paper and plastic Art Couture dresses, mixed media assemblages and her various collections of art jewelry showcase her interests in the natural organic beauty of nature and the transformative possibilities of repurposing found objects and discarded synthetic materials. Sonya is a successful photographic stylist, commercial photographer, and photographic art director for more than 30 years, transforming that which others see as commonplace into the extraordinary. Born and raised in the cosmopolitan and bustling Caribbean nation of Trinidad & Tobago, she graduated from RIT with a BFA in Photographic arts and Sciences, and currently lives and works in Boca Raton, surrounded by the diverse culture of Florida’s trendy and multicultural East Coast. She credits her earliest influence to her mother’s creativity as an artist and costume maker who worked for many years with the renowned artist Peter Minshall. Her art follows the “upcycling and repurposing” movement which reevaluates the worth of waste by reclaiming and reinterpreting the beauty of discarded materials and found objects in new and unexpected ways. All of Sonya’s mixed media assemblages and art jewelry are handmade one-of-a-kind pieces. The recycled materials that she manipulates gives her mixed media work a strong identity with unique characteristics effectively making each piece a distinct work of art.
Follow Sonya on Instagram: @cre8tivechild
Visit her Websites: Fine Art & Jewelry & Photography
Funded in part by:
40% of artwork sales goes to support our education programs. For information on purchasing a piece please contact
Chelsea Odum - codum@resourcedepot.org
GalleRE Hours:
Tuesdays - Thursdays: 11 am - 5 pm | Saturdays: 9 am- 2 pm
*Also open during special events.
