Ashley Soto Turns Her Vitiligo Into Works of Art

When Ashley Soto first started showing signs of vitiligo at age 12, she covered her skin, dressing in long sleeves and pants whenever possible. Now, the 21-year-old is celebrating her differences using her skin as a canvas.

Starry night ⭐️✨⭐️ Remember you are MAGIC. Don’t ever let anyone dull your sparkle. Let that sparkle from within shine brightly on the outside with confidence, self love, and positivity. Be proud to wear YOU #vitiligo ????

A post shared by Ash Soto (@radiantbambi) on Feb 28, 2017 at 8:18am PST

Soto found it difficult to accept her condition, sharing on Instagram that she had been bullied for years with people calling her names like “cow” or asking if she has “Michael Jackson syndrome.” “I never realized how beautiful my vitiligo was until I traced it with a black marker,”she told the Daily Mail. “It really helps to bring out the different colors of my skin.”

Thinking about starting my own YouTube channel so I can connect with you angels on a different level. I try to put myself out there for you all in all my captions and I think this would be a great way for you to get to know me and actually hearing my words would get through to you more. What do you think? ⚡️???????????? A post shared by Ash Soto (@radiantbambi) on Jan 27, 2017 at 6:22pm PST

 

Since first drawing on her skin, Soto has recreated different works of art on her skin including Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” and floral motifs.

“I was always trying to find a way to look at my skin in a positive light, I couldn’t do that before starting this,” she told the Daily Mail. “Now what others would perceive as an imperfection I have made into something more beautiful and made it more accepted than before.”

I get stretch marks just like everyone else regardless of if I have a skin condition or not. I go through all the same struggles you all go through that’s why I preach self love so much. I don’t care if I have to repeat myself in every caption to love who you are regardless if you have tiger stripes, #vitiligo, or whatever the case may be. I’ll sound like a broken record each time because at least someone reminded you to appreciate and love yourself unconditionally always ????????❤

A post shared by Ash Soto (@radiantbambi) on Jan 13, 2017 at 1:11pm PST

Soto also uses her Instagram to share messages of self-love and body positivity. “I get stretch marks just like everyone else regardless of if I have a skin condition or not. I go through all the same struggles you all go through that’s why I preach self love so much,” she writes. “I don’t care if I have to repeat myself in every caption to love who you are regardless if you have tiger stripes, #vitiligo, or whatever the case may be.”

I am my own experiment, I am my own work of art. The girl with the world painted on her body ???? By being yourself and embracing it only makes you put something amazing in the world that wasn’t there and that makes you unique ⭐️ credits to @torpe.ternura for making me her canvas ???? A post shared by Ash Soto (@radiantbambi) on Feb 13, 2017 at 5:03pm PST

 

You can view more of Soto’s designs on her Instagram page.