Meet: Shalene Valenzula

FACETIME Silent Auction Artist Shalene Valenzula 

Shalene Valenzuela was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. She received a BA in Art Practice at the University of California at Berkeley and an MFA in Ceramics from California College of Arts and Crafts. In June 2007, she moved from her longtime home of Oakland, CA to begin a two year residency at The Clay Studio of Missoula. She currently teaches classes in the School of Art at the University of Montana, and maintains a studio in Missoula.
Additionally, Shalene has participated in summer artist residencies at the Archie Bray Foundation (2006) and Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts (2004, 2011). In addition to U of M, she has taught at Oregon College of Art and Craft, The Clay Studio of Missoula, Missoula Art Museum, Richmond Art Center (CA), ASUC Studios at UC Berkeley, and CCA Extended Education. She was interim director at the Clay Studio of Missoula August 2010-March 2011, and now serves as a member of the studio’s board of directors. Shalene has been a guest artist and speaker at a number of art centers, colleges, and universities and her work has been featured in several group and solo exhibitions nationally.

 
My body of ceramic work consists of quirky pieces that reflect upon a variety of issues with a thoughtful, yet humorous and ironic tone. I am inspired by the potential of everyday common objects. I reproduce these objects primarily through slipcasting, and illustrate the surfaces with a variety of handpainted and screenprinted imagery. My narratives explore topics ranging from fairytales, urban mythologies, consumer culture, societal expectations, etiquette, and coming-of-age issues. Stylistically, much of my imagery is pulled from somewhat "dated" sources that I find represent an idealized time in society and advertising. Such gems include instructional guides, cookbooks, old advertisements, and old family photos. Beneath the shiny veneer of these relics hides a complex and sometimes contradicting truth of what things seem to 
appear as upon first glance.
So one may ask "Why clay? Why not just draw these images on paper, or on the actual objects?" One way of explaining my building aesthetic would be a form of trompe l’oeil with a twist. The preciousness of clay as a medium helps transform my depicted common household/consumer item into something magical. I care about the object being referenced and recognizable while maintaining my illustrative quality that completes the narrative.
Sometimes my inspirations are just pure whimsy, and I find nothing wrong with that. Rules are sometimes meant to be broken. How else are we supposed to learn?