Opening Reception, Full Circle: Valentine Viannayy

Lapis Room’s first solo show of the 2026 season features mixed media artist, Valentine Viannay. Originally from France, Valentine came to America as a struggling artist. A friend helped her get a commission for a mural in San Diego and she instantly fell in love with California. She quickly realized that even though America hadn’t been the plan, it was an opportunity she was given.

This show is a series of vignettes meant to capture key moments in the artist’s life since that initial mural: the adventure, the growth, the good and bad times (and the good and bad choices). The idea is to portray snapshots for each year since she immigrated to the States.

Though Valentine’s journey is personal, her hope is to make connections through the possibility of shared experience. Perhaps some of these pieces will resonate and help the viewer recall specific moments in their own lives. Through each piece, she seeks to express the feelings – sometimes using symbolism, sometimes a specific object or place – that help define her life and work here in America. The original plan was to come for three weeks—she stayed 25 years.