Graduated from Universidad Galileo de Guatemala with a major in Communications with a concentration in Education, Sergio Valenzuela is a graphic designer, creative director, publicist, and professor.
He teaches university courses on creativity, advertising, and graphic design at his alma mater. He is a serious artist with particular interests in pictorial, sculptural, and video art. Selected as the winner of the “Young Artist” award in 2005, and granted a scholarship to study at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts, Valenz has exhibited both nationally and internationally in multiple group showings.
Other recognitions and awards include: Best piece during Juannio 2005 and 2006 Latin American Art Expo; Best piece in the XV Biennal de Arte Paiz show for invited artists category in 2006; invited artist by the Embassy of Mexico to the Frida Kahlo Tribute Show in 2007; Selected work for the IX International Festival Rozas Botran in 2007; Recognition Award at the X International Festival by Rozas Botran in 2008; Finalist at the Latin American Art auction commemorating 45 Years of Juannio in 2009, as well as a recognition award in SUMARTE 2009 Art Auction. In total, Valenzuela has been in more than 150 shows in his career.
The Extra-Dimensional World of Dreams
By using elements such as chairs, ladders, beds, monocycles, trapeze artists, swings, machines… it is a way of telling stories about life. The chairs signify, according to the context, opportunities and the patience required for them to step into our lives. The ladders represent our desire to climb, to continue our personal growth. Beds represent periods when we sleep and dream; things we cannot share with anyone else. Playful characters are representative of the uniqueness and singularity of each of the moments that we experience throughout our lifetimes, and the game that life is.
Painting is my life...
Valenz’s instrument is a graphite pencil that reiterates messages across his works. Proposals surge from previous ideas and views, and are redrawn over and over on translucent papers, which offer us the opportunity to construct in our minds the storyline of his works and interpret what their meaning is. These hand drawn figures, by the nature of his art, take on a life of their own. When combined, they create systems where they interact in an all encompassing environment. These events occur within the walls of certain living spaces, which nevertheless are part of a greater interconnected system.
Pencil over canvas, on top of luminous colors in the background while simultaneous monochromes surge from the lights and shadows and vice versa. It is an optical play, where illusions are caused by lineal perspectives that provoke the imagination. Multiple perspectives are construed, and they flow towards multiple points that require interpretation by the audience. Put together, an interior world is built based on what is happening in isolated, yet interconnected, rooms and areas. It is the way the world is built by humans, each with different roles and functions as part of a greater collective system.
Valenz’s work is unconventional, transposing an extra dimensional world of dreams, which may or may not exist, in our own subconscious level. They are dreams, and they are full of mystery and unknowns. Yet they are not nightmares, and they do not cause our imprecations to emerge. According to his surrealist tendencies, Valenz however is not referring to our dreams, but instead he refers to the automatism around us.
His neo-surrealist paintings emerge from his observations and self reflection. His intuition and his subconscious are the source of inspiration. His works are reflections drawn on the interior collective self, combining parody and ingenuity. However, origins and turning points in his pictorial process are absolutely rational. This intention is what builds an artistic development of such magnitudes. His creative and artistic experiences, his knowledge, and his information are the base of his creation.
Valenz’s work is a window, through which we can look into multiple spaces. Our observations of his work cause persecution of monsters in our subconscious. His characters are not chairs, staircases, or beds that are present in spaces of his creations. We, the spectators, are the real characters in his work, and without realizing it, we interpret our own live as we inhabit within his artworks.
Pintura, Museo Forma , San Salvador, El Salvador.
Esculturas, Centro Historico , Guatemala.
Pintura y escultura, Hotel Museo Casa Santo Domingo, Antigua Guatemala. Esculturas y Arte objeto, Santo Domingo del Cerro, Antigua Guatemala
Mural, Boulevard Los Próceres , Guatemala.
Mural , Aeropuerto Internacional La Aurora, Guatemala.
Mural, Galería Alberto Linero, Wynwood, Miami Florida, Estados Unidos.2014 Pintura, Banco Promerica Fundación Ortiz Gurdian León Nicaragua y Guatemala. Pintura, Fundación G&T, Guatemala.
Pintura, Fundación Rozas Botrán, Guatemala.
Mural Aeropuerto Internacional La Aurora
Mural Aeropuerto Internacional La Aurora RON BOTRAN
2013 Curador Invitado, 15 Bienal de Escultura y Cerámica, Honduras
2017 Curador Invitado, 17 Bienal de Escultura y Cerámica, Honduras
2023 Curador Invitado, 19 Bienal de Escultura y Cerámica, Honduras
2011 Premio a la Excelencia, Santo Domingo del Cerro Antigua Guatemala, Categoría Urbanismo. 2010 Finalista en Concurso de Arte Latinoamericano JUANNIO, Guatemala.
2009 Mención de Honor, subasta de Arte Latinoamericano, SUMARTE, El Salvador.
2009 Finalista en Concurso de Arte Latinoamericano JUANNIO, Guatemala.
2008 Mención honorífica en el X Festival Internacional Rozas Botrán, Guatemala.
2007 Arista invitado por la embajada de México, Homenaje Frida Kahlo , Guatemala.
2007 Obra Seleccionada IX Festival Internacional Rozas Botrán 2007, Guatemala.
2006 Obra seleccionada por el jurado, Concurso de Arte Latinoamericano JUANNIO, Guatemala. 2006 Obra Seleccionada en la XV Bienal de Arte Paiz, categoría artistas invitados
2005 Obra seleccionada por el jurado, Concurso de Arte Latinoamericano JUANNIO, Guatemala.
