Sophia Shanti was born in Kiel, Germany, and then immigrated to a small town in Virginia, United States, at the age of 10. The duality of locations let her see the world through numerous viewpoints from an early age. Through living "in between worlds" she was able to understand the relationship of constant change to the laws of the metaphysical. An ever-changing exterior revealed to her the value of deep insight, intuition, and creativity as a continuous source of nourishment and healing.

Her practice is based on a family lineage of shamanism, as well as a chosen evolution of meditation, emotional sensing, creativity, and somatic practices. Thanks to early initiation by various shamanic and eastern teachers, as well as her own inclination toward the unseen, she was able to continuously harness the growth of her path in service to others.

Her art is intended as a medium to translate subjects of the etheric world, such as dreams or emotions, to a visual plane. It invites the unspeakable to be communicated in order to create an experience that can be shared with many. Another intention of her work is to reconnect the psyche with natural states of bliss through re-associating the mind to an integrated state of consciousness. The process focuses on creating works beyond the thinking mind, where the intuitive subconscious is allowed to come to the surface and take charge. She draws on encounters from her daily life in connection with the nuances of psychology, mythology, mysticism, and the natural world.