Meet Low Valentino | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Low Valentino and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Low, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Well when you take the same path all the time you start to know what to expect. But you don’t get to see anything new. But if you step out and try something new, there is at least a chance you will find an even better path. In my case, I used to think that my art wasn’t good enough to show anyone so I wouldn’t. Then one day my mom told me that she had got me into my first art show. And I was horrified. I had no idea how people would react to my art. But it went well. And I’ve been doing them ever since. And I learn something new from each show that helps me to improve my art and presentation.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Ive been making art since even before my first memories. I know this because my parents have pictures. And I’m glad it’s been part of my life for so long because art has truly saved me. There is this section of my memory that resides in the back of my mind in a state of purgatory. This time made me feel very lost. All I wanted to do was sink into the floor and just live forever in darkness. I do not believe that I genuinely got to “live” the years following. I still would draw all the time but they were just simple basic drawings. I don’t remember exactly when it happened. But one day I was jogging at park. And I bursted into tears for no reason. Then the dread of facing the past hit me. It was honestly extremely overwhelming. My heart was racing and I couldn’t breathe. I rushed home. And at the time I was working on a scenery painting. But when I got home I smeared black paint over it. And the feeling of something “perfect” having that title being taken was very relatable. At that point I realized that just because something isn’t perfect doesn’t mean it’s not good. Who says that good has to be pretty and bad has to be ugly. This is when I feel I truly became an artist. From that point on I focused on creating paintings of dark monsters and scary creatures not because I love being evil. But because these monsters are not bad, just misunderstood. And now I see that because I’ve been misunderstood I can connect very well with people who also feel misunderstood. I know what it feels like to bottle things up inside hoping they will go away. So my art stands for “being unapologetically you” and for the people who feel lost in their own lives.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a geek so comic stores like bedrock, nans, and third planet are all super sick for geeks like me. The sculpture garden is nice for people into art. And when it comes to food, Chicken Heads over at The Food Zone has the best chicken sandwiches. It might be a little further out for some but it’s worth it.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My mom is my main inspiration for making art. She is the reason why I put so much thought into my pieces. If it wasn’t for her always telling me that I can always be myself no matter what people think, I don’t think I’d still be making art now. My dad helped my art career by always critiquing my pieces based on the technical ability. So there hasn’t been a single critic that has even come close to bashing my art like he has.

Website: www.LowValentino.com

Instagram: LowValentino

Image Credits
Iliana Q.