Visions Art Museum: Contemporary Quilts + Textiles presents VALYA - A Retrospective with an opening reception on September 14th from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Admission for the wine reception is $5.

VALYA is a fiber artist whose work has been exhibited widely nationally and internationally. Spanning decades of her career as a fiber artist and textile designer this exhibition focuses on themes of identity and ancestry.

For 30 years, VALYA designed silk fabrics and textiles for a large Ukrainian textile manufacturer. After moving to southern California more than 10 years ago, she created a series of large hand-painted silk constructions imbued with movement and drama and gained a U.S. reputation as a sophisticated fiber artist. Following the success of a solo exhibition VALYA began experimenting with a combination of silk and felt which led to her current body of work in felt sculpture.

"I chose felt because it is the oldest fabric that clothes were made from, it has a similar history to the ancient cells within us," says VALYA.

The reference to the cells within us reveals the story behind her work in this retrospective of felted, quilted, and painted fiber art and installations. Meet VALYA at the opening reception and hear about her explorations in human origins and how it translates into her work.