About+Contact
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hello@deenasooteh.com
DEENA SO’OTEH is an award-winning illustrator known for her surreal, emotionally charged images that sit at the intersection of concept, narrative, and symbolism. Her work explores themes of identity, the human psyche, and social issues—often through dramatic lighting, fluid distortions, and visual metaphors that feel both contemporary and timeless.
Recognized by the Society of Illustrators, Art Directors Club, American Illustration, and 3x3 Magazine, Deena’s illustrations appear in editorial features, book covers, and narrative-driven projects that call for nuance and depth. Her style blends cinematic composition with expressive texture, evoking a mood that’s at once intimate and larger-than-life.
Guided by a desire to express what words often cannot, she expands emotional resonance through visual storytelling—constantly seeking connections between image, meaning, and mood.
Deena holds an MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts. She also teaches and lectures regularly, helping emerging illustrators develop both their voice and vision.
Splitting her time between New York City and Switzerland, she draws inspiration from both—the energy of urban life and the quiet reflection of natural landscapes.
For North American book publishing inquiries, please reach out to Chad W. Beckerman at The CAT Agency.
Thanks for stopping by!
Clients include:
Apple News / Billboard / Bloomberg Businessweek / Bloomingdale’s / Bloomsbury / Business Insider / Candlewick / Chocolate Modern / Columbia Magazine / Conde Nast / de Volkskrant / Disney / Fashion Institute of Technology / Fast Company & Inc. / Federal Computer Weekly / Foreign Policy Magazine / Hard Case Crime / Harmony Labs / Harper Collins / Industry Drive / Lion Forge / Louise Fili / Lucasfilm / Middlebury Magazine / Mother Jones / Nautilus / NBC News / New York Times / New Scientist / Northwestern University / NPR / Penguin Random House / Pentagram / Quartz News / Scientific American / Southern Poverty Law Center / Texas Monthly / The Atlantic / The Boston Globe / The Guardian / The New Republic / The New Yorker Magazine / The Observer / The Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / Titan Books / Tor / Sarabeth’s / Simon&Schuster / VanityFair / VinePair/ Wired
Awards
2024 ADC 104rd Annual Awards Bronze Cube Winner
2024 3x3 Annual 21 Merit Winner
2024 News Design Creative Competition “Best of Print Design” Award of Excellence
2023 Hiii Brand Grand Prix
2023 ADC 103rd Annual Awards Bronze Cube Winner, Merit Winner
2023 Society of Illustrators 66 Gold Medal
Society of Illustrators 65, 66, 67
Communication Arts Shortlist 2022, 2023, 2024
American Illustration Selected Winner 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39
Society of Illustrators West 58 Honorable Mention
2019 Best in the Show, The Art League
2018 Paula Rhodes Memorial Awards
2017 Coyne Foundation Scholarship
2017 3x3 Illustration Annual Silver Medal
2017 3x3 Illustration Annual Merit Award
Guest lectures + Teaching
2025 SPD Mentor
2025 Guest Lecture, School of Visual Arts BFA Illustration, NY
2024 Guest Lecture, School of Visual Arts BFA Illustration, NY
2024 Guest Lecture, School of Visual Arts MFA Illustration as Visual Essay, NY
2024 Instructor, Professional Practices, Summer Illustration Residency SVA, NY
2024 Guest Lecture, School of Visual Arts BFA, NY
2024 Guest Lecture, University Hartford BFA, Connecticut
2023 Instructor, Professional Practices, Summer Illustration Residency SVA, NY
2022 Guest Lecture, Parsons New School Core Studio,NY
2021, 2022 Guest Lecture, Fashion Institute of Technology BFA Senior Portfolio, NY
2019 Guest Lecture, School of Visual Arts MFA Illustration as Visual Essay, NY
Exhibitions
2021 AI Poster Group Exhibit, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, Greece
2020 Spread the Love Group Show, Brooklyn, NY
2020 Society of Illustrators West Exhibit, LA, CA
2019 Best in the Show Illustration Exhibit, The Art League, Alexandria, VA
2019 Summer Illustration Residency Exhibit, NY, NY
2019 Innuendos, Light Grey Art Lab, Minneapolis, MN
2018 INKSPLASH, Rockaway Alliance of Artists, Queens, NY
2018 The Ultimate Fantasy, Light Grey Art Lab, Minneapolis, MN
2018 Summer Illustration Residency Exhibit, NY, NY
2018 Philanthropy Poster Group Exhibit, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, Greece
2018 Thesis Show, SVA Chelsea Gallery, NY, NY
2018 Wildlife Artist Of The Year Exhibit, Mall Galleries, London, UK
2017 Summer Illustration Residency Exhibit, NY, NY
2017 Philanthropy Poster Group Exhibit, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, Greece
2017 A Report to An Academy Group Exhibition, NY, NY
2015 5th Annual Armstrong National 2-D Competition Exhibition, Savannah, GA
2015 American Illustration 34 Annual Exhibit, NY, NY
Online Interviews
SEVEN IMPOSSIBLE THINGS BEFORE BREAKFAST
Online Catalogs
AI 39 Archive
3x3 Silver Medal Annual No14
3x3 Illustration Directory Category: Animals