Sophia Zarders
Sophia Zarders (she/her, they/them) is a visual artist, illustrator, and educator from the unceded ancestral land of the Tongva and Gabrielino peoples (Long Beach, California) currently residing in the unceded ancestral land of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples (Vancouver, British Columbia). They have a Master of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University of Art + Design and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from California State University, Long Beach. Their studio practice explores the intersections of identity, pop culture, history, cinema, costume, horror, and humor. Sophia is currently an educator at Emily Carr University and Langara College in Vancouver, BC.
Sophia's career as an illustrator spans publishing, editorial, educational, entertainment, and public art. Their book You're Funny For A: The Illustrated Guide to Trans Comedians, Non-Binary Comics, and Funny Women in the Comedy Scene was published by Silver Sprocket in 2022, and they have self-published an expansive library of zines and comics. Their work has been published by HarperCollins, The Nation, Prism Reports, Zora, Razorcake, The Socialist Review, and more. Their illustrations have been commissioned by educational organizations and non-profits across the United States, including the ACLU, New York Department of Education, LA County Office of Education, SaveArtSpace, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, and Forward Together.
Sophia's illustrated graduate thesis paper Identisploitation: Playing with the Politics of Representation, is available to read in the Emily Carr University ECollections.
Email: sophiazarders@gmail.com
Instagram: @sophiazarders