About Valencia Joy
Personal Profile
Valencia Joy is a self-taught artist who is passionate about art. She is a recent graduate from the University of North Texas with a BFA in Drawing and Painting and a minor in Art History. Valencia, a Houston Texas native, moved to Denton, Texas in 2016 to study art and further advance her artistic abilities. Prior to moving to Denton Texas, Valencia was often involved in volunteering organizations in the Houston area. She enjoys learning new skills and eventually wants to use her artistic abilities and professional skills in the nonprofit industry. She currently resides in Pearland Texas to explore new artistic opportunities and to engage more with the art community in Texas.
Artist Statement
My body of work explores the human form and pushes the line of abstraction to explore the many ways in which physical features can be expressive in unusual ways. The human figure and physiology fascinate me, through the utilization of features and movement a new language can be expressed. My subject matter is self. The pieces that I create are an extension of my consciousness. They reflect my insecurities, my biases, my experiences, my intellect, and my aesthetic.
In my more contemporary style of making art, I am most inspired by the people I surround myself with. I commonly will use various weighted lines, hatching, and stippling to create unusual portraits of imaginary characters meant to visually embody the different energies of the people around me. I represent the figure in realistic ways as well as distorted and exaggerated ways that communicate a character or personality. I am interested in both traditional and contemporary art and I am currently building a body of work that would harmoniously pair the two styles.
CV
Education
Alvin Community College 2016
University of North Texas College of Visual Art and Design. 2016-2020
New York Academy of Art Summer Undergraduate Residency. Summer 2019
New York University. Summer 2019
New York Academy of Art Continuing Education Courses, 2020
University of St. Thomas, Post Baccalaureate courses in Psychology, 2023
Group Exhibitions
Pearland Livestock Show and Auction 2015 & 2016
59th Annual Voertmans Exhibition. Spring 2019
New York Academy of Art Summer Undergraduate Residency Program Exhibition. July 2019
2019 Full Circle Exhibition. U.N.T College of Visual Art & Design. October 2019
Social Distance Gallery Virtual BFA 2020 Show, May 2020
Hardy & Nance Pride Art Show, June 2021
Residencies
New York Academy of Art Summer Undergraduate Residency in Partnership with NYU. Summer 2019
Honors & Awards
Pearland Livestock Show and Auction Distinguished Student Scholarship. March 2016
National Society of Collegiate Scholars Membership Award. 2017- Current
Honorable Mention in the Voertmans Exhibition. Spring 2019
New York Academy of Art Distinguised Portfolio Scholarship.
Member of the Following Organizations
Visual Arts Collective Spring 2019- 2020
Healing Arts Circles 2023
Voyage Houston Article
Daily Inspiration: Meet Valencia Arline
Today we’d like to introduce you to Valencia Arline.
Hi Valencia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today."
"I have always loved art and being creative. I got my BFA in Drawing and Painting in 2020. The timing of everything going on in 2020 allowed me to explore and experiment with my art. In the past couple of years, I explored lino printing and digital art, and recently I have been exploring fiber art and yarn crafts."
"We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?"
"I have been very fortunate in the past with my artistic journey. However, I do tend to be my own biggest obstacle..."