Arleene Correa Valencia: Weaving Identity Through Art

NAPA, Calif. -- Arleene Correa Valencia, represented by Catherine Clark Gallery in San Francisco, transforms personal experiences into powerful art that bridges cultural divides.

Undocumented until recently, Valencia's childhood was defined by uncertainty. "When I was a kid, I remember being in the backseat of the car, not knowing if we were going to make it home," she shares. These experiences of vulnerability -- living with the fear that family members could be deported -- sparked her artistic journey.

Though initially drawn to painting, Valencia found her voice through textiles and embroidery. She works with specialized paper that's remarkably sturdy yet beautiful. "I embroider the paper, which means I run needles through it and weave things together, and it still holds a lot, and it doesn't tear," she explains.

Currently, she creates abstracted textile portraits of her family using hand embroidery, featuring tender silhouettes that capture human essence. These works speak about "humanity at large" rather than just depicting individuals.

A notable project involved collaborating with her father on painted shipping pallets during 2017-2018. These works comment on how goods have more freedom of movement across borders than the laborers who handle them. This collaboration is especially meaningful as her father always dreamed of being an artist but lacked resources to pursue this path. Today, they work together in her studio.

Valencia sees art as a vehicle for social connection. "I really want my work to enter homes and to show people that we are the same, regardless of our differences of skin color, economic status, social status," she says. Rather than accepting injustice, she chooses action: "I like to believe that it's better to think that we can change the world than to sit back and not do anything about the bad things that are happening to our communities."

Through her distinctive practice and representation by Catherine Clark Gallery, Valencia creates work that challenges perceptions and celebrates universal human experiences, informed by her personal journey from undocumented immigrant to recognized artist.