Soph Ang Russo

                  @angelosophy




A Storyteller’s Eye, 2024, Book. 7 x 10 in.


Introduction (A Storyteller’s Eye): The Story Behind The Storybook, 2024. Book spread. 14 x 20 in.





Sketchbook I: Character Design for the Hierophant, 2025, Notebook spread. 12 x 8 in.



Mythos & Ethos

The storyteller, the main character, the narrator — this figure holds a
profound and mighty role; stories bend to their will, becoming whatever
they wish. They forge a unique lens through which they translate the
world. As artists and designers, we become the modern myth-makers.
Our task is to become cognizant of this power because we have a
responsibility to shape the story ethically.

Civilizations across humanity’s many eons have conjured narratives and
oral histories to pass down, shaping their realities. These traditions
manifest through folklore, mythologies, legends, fairytales, and fables.
Through retelling these tales time and again, generations all try to
decipher the earth we inhabit. Stories are indicative of our shared
humanity. In Mythos & Ethos, storytelling is explored through the
frameworks of queer and feminist theory, decolonization, sociology, and
ethics. This project delves into the themes of identity versus community
and the artist versus the realm of vast possibility.

Mythos & Ethos will introduce The Hierophant, a character who serves to 
reinterpret age-old stories from childhood days and myths from empires 
long gone. Within these pages, a new story will arise. A story that 
grapples with what it means to be a creator on a search for truth-telling. 
This book series is my very own fantasy quest. A journey where I make 
discoveries and discover myself, my voice, my perspective. It also serves 
as a path that guides the reader through histories and epistemologies 
that can aid in their own adventures in artmaking. This knowledge can 
embolden us to shape the future in deeper, more magical ways than 
before. Together we can craft a new moral of the story and a better 
‘happily ever after.’