Danielle Mio Sogno

Artist Bio

Danielle Mio Sogno was exposed to the arts since early childhood. The daughter of internationally known expressionist artist Betty Jean Hoaglund, she was taught the importance of incorporating art into her life from the time she could pick up a paintbrush.

her mediums of choice are acrylics and watercolor, but collage is another of her loves, and many of her works are mixed media. She created the "Unraveled by Danielle" line of textiles in 2020, during the pandemic. It started as just a way to surprise friends and family across the country with custom knitted hats, blankets, and scarves but quickly became popular items in the retail marketplace.

Danielle was born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois and currently splits her time between Dallas, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois. Her art has been in exhibitions at the TVAA Gallery and Clique Gallery, among others.

She holds a Master's in Creative Writing and Literature from Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, and is a writer and visual artist.

Artist Website

Artist Statement

Ambiguity. My use of and reliance on it is absolutely intentional. To be able to create art that inspires people, makes them question its meaning, and sparks conversations is a huge responsibility and an important contribution. I want my pieces to attract attention. The audacity of bold color palettes and shapes, metallic accents, and exaggerated subjects allow this to happen. Symbolism is something I leverage creatively, and I tend to incorporate one or more symbolic elements in each of my pieces. I am fascinated with word meanings, famous quotes, and history. Doing the research before beginning the art is part of the fun, and I feel it allows me to create a more layered, complete narrative.

I often use unexpected combinations of mediums to surprise my audience (and often, myself) and to break away from the expected. A layer of acrylic carefully shaping a figure but outlined carelessly and almost cartoonishly can create whimsy with a powerful message behind it. Watercolor in muted tones but with gold leaf interwoven is peaceful and elegant but is then elevated. India ink dripping off oil roses delivers an edgy juxtaposition of structure and freedom, and a message of controlled chaos.

Whether painting a street mural in public places or hosting a gallery event, it is such a delight to be approached by admirers who relay the meaning that my art has for them. The best thing about this scenario is that it tends to be a different interpretation every time. That’s pretty powerful.

I see art in life from every angle. Every day. In the strangest of places. I can see figures of people and animals in the uneven layers of the slate tile in my home, in the clouds, in the tree bark at the dog park. I see it first as it is, and then as a painting. I can complete the full painting in my head within seconds. So, if you see me staring at you, I might be looking past you at the cracks in the sidewalk that are shaped like a giraffe or the lamppost that’s rusted so perfectly into the shape of a dragonfly.

I want my art to make the ordinary extraordinary so that we can all appreciate even the smallest and mundane things with new fervor.