Valerie Syposz
Valerie Syposz
Valerie Syposz (born Ottawa, Canada 1984) received a BFA in painting and drawing from Concordia University in 2008. In 2010, she was selected as a MEXT Japanese Government Scholar recipient and moved to Japan. She completed a MFA in printmaking from Tokyo University of the Arts in 2013. Her work is centred on traditional printmaking (lithography, woodcut, wood engraving, monoprints) often embellished with other techniques after printing. Valerie frequently participates in international exhibitions and artist in residence programs. She has held solo exhibitions in Canada, Japan, Korea, Australia and Norway.
Since 2017, my subject matter has been centered around obstacles—isolation, internal questions of existence, invisible or real barriers. The inspiration for my prints comes from many years of living in metropolises and watching city dwellers’ interaction—or lack thereof—with each other and to their environment.
These prints are from a series of multi-block reduction woodcuts. Starting with sketches from life drawing sessions, each image developed throughout the printing process. For me, the figures embody resigning oneself to misfortune, shutting out the world. Life is sometimes easier to live in a daydream, denying reality.
