
Andres Valencia
Tom and Jenny, 2022
Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Canvas
68 x 48"
Andres Valencia (b. 2011) is a San Diego, California-based contemporary artist known for large, dramatic, colorful figurative paintings that are deeply influenced by George Condo, Picasso, and Cubism. Valencia has been painting since he was five years old, He stands on a step ladder to create large-scale works with a mix of oil stick, and oil and acrylic paint, seeking to create bold colors and wildly imaginative fragmented facial compositions. Teachers involved in his California public school Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) program quickly identified his extraordinary talent. Surrounded by art at home, Valencia is inspired by RETNA, Richard Hambleton, Raphael Mazzucco, Salvador Dalí, and other artists his father began collecting about seven years ago.
Andres has collaborated with renowned artists Bradley Theodore, Raphael Mazzucco, Retna, and Risk (Kelly Graval), and cites George Condo as his favorite living artist. Gazing for hours at a RETNA painting in his home, he began copying it over and over to hone his skills, augmenting his education by watching videos about painting. Painting daily from his home studio, Valencia also studies art history and sculpts at home, developing an interest in a wide-range of artists such as Gerhard Richter, Vincent van Gogh, Amedeo Modigliani, Francis Bacon, and Michelangelo. Valencia said he is drawn to artists for their unique style. He often begins with small sketches, but lets his creative force take over once he begins work on a canvas, relying on his color wheel to guide him. Ideas strike him as he’s about to go to sleep, and he will get out of bed at 10 p.m. to paint, often painting several canvases at any time. He’s eager to visit the Louvre Museum in Paris to view Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. “I just want the world to know my work,” he said of his primary goal.
At the young age of ten he has had enormous success catching the attention of the press and art collectors from around the world. During Art Miami, he was featured on Good Morning America, and many other significant news outlets globally. His entire body of art works sold out on the opening night of Art Miami in 2021. He became the youngest artist in history to have his own booth at Art Miami. His success continued in 2022, as every painting sold in one day at Art Palm Beach in March, 2022. Profiles about Valencia were recently released in Forbes magazine and the London Times.
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