Valerie Van Gelder

Born in England and educated in France, today Valerie van Gelder spends most of her time between her studios in Paris and Los Angeles. Her early works, inks on silk, were mostly of Asian inspiration. Indeed Asian art and philosophy have played a large part in her life, and for many years she has studied Chinese calligraphy, martial arts and Mandarin. On a whim, she moved to California in 1979, settling for a while in San Francisco. Her contact with this city proved to be a turning point in her artwork. She began painting in oils, which seemed the ideal medium to capture the space and light that were to become dominant features in her work. Later she transitioned to acrylics, which she continues to use to this day, superimposing layers in quick succession to create greater freedom and a feeling of being ‘in the moment’.

In her early years as an artist, Valerie exhibited her work in numerous galleries throughout California, France and Switzerland. Wanting to devote more time to her craft, she later transformed both her residences into galleries for private exhibitions.