Studio H Canada International Artists Residencies

Textiles, Weaving

Residency Dates: May 2024

Studio H Canada is thrilled to welcome Vanessa Valero, international textile artist from Bogotá, Columbia. Vanessa is the second Irene Borins Ash Commemorative Textile Residency artist who will be working on the Leclerc loom that Irene gifted to the studio.

Vanessa Valero is a Colombian-based textile artist who delves into the intricate realms of nature, creating hand-tufted tapestries and hand-embroidered drawings. Her artistic journey navigates vast landscapes, from towering mountains to minuscule particles, tapping into the unseen essence that defines existence. This exploration serves as a wellspring of inspiration, guiding her on a spiritual quest. Within the majestic peaks of her tapestries, Valero contemplates consciousness and life, while her drawings venture into otherworldly dimensions, posing questions about the essence of life, the nature of reality, and embarking on a spiritual odyssey to forge connections with the cosmos.

Artist Statement

These artworks provide a glimpse into how I interpret life, exploring different places, beings, and ways of existing. In both my hand-tufted tapestries and drawings, I explore consciousness and its various forms. While the tapestries embody the seeking aspect of my spiritual journey, the drawings capture the diverse forms of life I encounter, sparking questions about the nature of existence.

My tapestries reflect the landscape I live whether is Colombia or other places I have the opportunity to live in, not as something I physically go to see, but as a landscape within me that finds expression. The spontaneity of my drawings arises from a meditative state; they aren’t planned but are responses to a meditative presence. They represent my inner landscape and engagement with various forms of existence that I feel a part of. The landscapes, to some extent, are both real and psychological, shaped by the environment I find myself in. The psychological aspect comes from the filters influenced by the landscape and the culture I encounter in those contexts. These artworks are my visual response to environments, whether natural or human, and what provides the most authentic and compelling response is working with color. Color, whether in tapestry or painting, is the medium through which my experiences find expression.

My work is a celebration of life, a response to its beauty, and these artworks serve as pages from my visual diary. They’re not planned but are responses to a meditative presence. It’s meditative response to the realization that we are all interconnected—a realization that can be both wonderful and painful. These creations are my thoughts translated into art.

About the Artist

Valero’s connection with the natural world blossomed during her time in Scandinavia, particularly in Finland and Iceland, which proved crucial to her development as both an artist and scholar. She earned her Masters of Arts in Textile Design from Aalto University in Finland, winning the Carpet Design Contest (2015) for the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam during her thesis work. Inspired by the play of light in the natural winter world, this achievement marked a pivotal moment in her artistic journey.

Her work has been showcased at Colombia’s Feria Del Millon, in both Colombia and New York City during Frieze and NY Design Week (2022). Notably, her collection, “Landscape Dialogues,” celebrating Colombia’s landscape identity, was exhibited at the Biennale Design (BID) Madrid 2020. Valero’s artistry has also been featured in AD Mexico, reflecting her profound exploration of nature’s wonders and her commitment to sharing glimpses of the world around her.

You can learn more about Vanessa on their website and follow them on Instagram @studio_vanessavalero and Saatchi Art

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Artists of all media and disciplines are welcome to apply to Studio H Canada International Art Residency – please check out the link here to apply.

Check out previous posts about artists here.