Giovanni Valderas

Gallery Affiliations: 500x Gallery

Region: West

My most recent paintings incorporate mixed media—paper, duct tape, acrylic paint, wood, drawing, and screenprint. I depict ambiguous objects, figures, and memories that evoke both the mystery and clarity of personal relationships. The subject is then ground into a chaos of fringe and confusion against a background of muted color. The piece is anchored in physical space and as an object conveys a sense of investigative freedom.

I borrow the frayed elements from the “piñata,” transforming the birthday-party game into a symbol of decaying traditional structures. Fringe permeates the structure of my paintings like bacterial spores in a reproduction chain suited to unfavorable conditions. The anatomical aspect of the piñata is also appropriated and amplified, its qualities suggesting the strength and inner complexity of relationships.