Artist of the Week: Angelina Villalobos

Angelina Villalobos Soto is a Latine muralist, painter, educator and illustrator in Seattle. Seattle Refined: How long have you been creating? Do you work with different mediums?Villalobos Soto: I have done art for as long as I can remember. I was really shy and introverted when I was young. My head was always in a book, and I was always trying to minimize the space I took up so no one would notice me. My gateway art was unicorns and rainbows and then I graduated to Ninja Turtles and X-men. When I was in high school, I discovered for myself Hip Hop and graffiti, and in this place, I found I could combine all my interests without judgment and become anonymous through a “street name,” which is where the 179 comes from. Angel179 was my superhero name that was chosen for me. Currently, my main tool is spray paint. I use it as a vehicle to get paint into difficult areas, which is a core mission of my work: painting spaces that are forgotten about or overlooked. If I’m not able to use spray paint, I use a mix of acrylic and latex paint for my murals. My design work...