Valerie Aranda
"My work, consisting mainly of painting and drawing, expresses an autobiographical perspective embracing a dialogue
between the past and the present, the everyday and the spirit world, dreamspace and the imagination. Ultimately, my concern is the
fading of a spirit that is connected to Mexican and indigenous traditions, and rituals that are in constant danger of being lost to the
mainstream. My work is a portrayal of a Mexican American working-class experience, embracing the past and the present in the
American Southwest."
Valerie Aranda
Valerie Aranda is influenced by family. She studied professionally at Arizona State University and the University of
California, but also studied the work of her paternal grandfather, a painter, and maternal grandmother, who made many alters in the
home. While she is committed to her work, she is also committed to sharing the knowledge of art with others and does so by teaching
classes, mostly at Mira Costa College. 12
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