Meet Valerie Valera | Artist & Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Valerie Valera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Valerie, how do you think about risk?
Risk is inevitable. Life is always gonna bring you to your limits. For me I never had a plan B. So risk has been my whole life and career. But what do you have to lose if you believe in yourself? You get to a point where settling is a risk. Conforming is a risk. No one has control over life. You have to step up to the plate.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is a collective of mixed media work and photography. Painting was my first love. When I was young I romanticized at the idea of being a traditional portrait painter. But I quickly realized that I approached art therapeutically and needed something that I could work out my frustrations. So abstraction became my blueprint for digging up my subconscious. It became about how much I could put into a work and less about what it actually was in comparison to reality. My photography on the other hand became the opposite. At first I never viewed the photos I was taking as a form of art. As a young queer individual I lived a double life. One that my family saw and one that was my real self. So I began photographing as a way of capturing these beautiful intimate experiences I was having that no one else was seeing. I felt like my experiences needed to be documented and remembered. Society was trying to dim my light and it was my fight back for existence. What sets me apart from other artists is my appreciation and acceptance of struggle. It has been a constant theme in my life. At a certain point in my life I realized that the struggles of my life were in a sense the art. It was the polishing and refining of my character. Without opposition where does growth come from? Where does passion thrive if no fight is necessary? If you aren’t losing something? So I started changing how I viewed struggle in my life. It wasn’t about looking at a project and saying I don’t have the things necessary to accomplish it. It was about challenging myself to see it as I am so good that these things can’t stop me. I will prevail past them. So they became tests of my ability. Life isn’t perfect. Change is the only constant. We don’t always have the foundation we want when starting off. But greatness never waited for the perfect time. A lotus grows in murky waters. It’s those struggles you go through that form how you view and respond to the world. I am so grateful for them. They made me who I am today.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love taking friends to the local spots. The little hidden gems that make Fort Lauderdale so special. I’m vegan and I love sharing good places to eat that someone who isn’t vegan would be surprised and love. I’m also a kava drinker and love sharing the experience of drinking kava with those who haven’t experienced it. Theres an amazing kava bar in Fort Lauderdale called Shipwreckers that is constantly doing cool events with local artists and musicians. I would take them for a bike ride to all my favorite spots. Theres a certain beach I ride my bike to that’s less crowded and known by tourists. And we would have to hit up Wilton Manors and walk the drive. Hunters bar has an amazing karaoke night on Mondays that has outrageously talented individuals participating. .

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Francesco Lo Castro is definitely that person who has taught me, given me opportunity, and advice on life that has influenced me beyond comprehension. He’s the most talented artist I know hands down. An amazing painter and all around artist. At 15 I became his apprentice and the rest is history. He has involved me in so much that has molded how I approach art making. Words seem to fail when describing my love and respect for him. He’s family to me. He’s someone who really cares about the world. He lets his actions speak for him. He practices what he preaches and really invests in those he calls friends. I learned so much about the type of character I wanted to be growing up because I watched him and studied how he lived his life.

Website: Valeraartwork.com

Instagram: @Valeraartwork

Twitter: @Valeraartwork