Manuela Soto’s work is both viral and permanent, a contradiction fit for an age where female empowerment and self expression is wrapped up in enduring trends and cyclical battles for Instagram-oriented liberation. From flip phones and fishnets to knuckles that read “B-A-B-Y”, the signifiers found within Soto’s anime-inspired tattoos mimic the online trends adopted by their wearers. Sensual postures, bare breasts and scowling grins imply agency, transforming manga-like figures into modern symbols of sexual dominance and self-empowerment. Manuela Soto (b. 1991, Switzerland) lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. Her artistic practice spans fields of drawing, illustration, fashion, art direction and writing. Her work has been published and featured in Interview Magazine, Office Magazine, i-D Magazine, MISSBISH, Tattoodo, HYPEBAE, Galore, Papertrail Magazine and Drunk Magazine among more publications. She has collaborated with streetwear labels such as LeftHand and Dimepiece to create signature collections.
New York City, NY; NYC