Sonia Asistin Betts is a first-generation Filipino American. Recently, she excavated her cultural roots and found that her heritage reached beyond Northern California where she was born. In researching the Philippine Islands, she discovered a rich heritage consisting of 3000 B.C. cave paintings, an indigenous script dating back to the 13th century, and a mythology which supported agrarian societies with rice deities to protect the crops. She studied Filipino utilitarian crafts such as woodworking, basketry, weaving, papermaking, tattooing, and embroidery. Based on this newfound knowledge, she utilizes these cultural references and icons in her artwork. Sonia is a mixed media artist, combining painting, collage, basketry, weaving, and embroidery in her work.

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While in the graphic design field, she owned her own business and was a community college graphic design teaching assistant. After an extensive corporate career in the Human Resources profession, she became a full-time artist. Her multidisciplinary experiences and knowledge merge in her creation of cultural and social/political statements.

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Sonia currently works and lives in beautiful Sonoma County, California.