Julio Valdez

My recent work reflects my interest in creating a spatial uncertainty, a sense of time not yet defined. My paintings explore an oceanic landscape, at once dreamlike. and hallucinatory. I have been examining images of water, looking beyond its physical characteristics, and using it as a metaphor for consciousness and the creative process. In the Caribbean region, the surrounding waters from the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea create a sense of light and space that are both a blessing and a curse.

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I explore portraiture as an imperfect translation of a self that can never be captured. My new Pandemic Portraits and Self-Portraits are a vehicle for exploring cultural identity, as the Covid-19 pandemic has been with us since early 2020, it has become a cultural experience that is redefining us from the inside out as individuals and as a people.