In Julia Valdés’ paintings an explosive mixture coexists: the everyday with the spiritual. That duplicity speaks of our life, of our condition and of our humanity.

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I was born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba (1952). My father was a renowned sculptor, professor and director of the School of Fine Arts in Santiago de Cuba. Since I was able to view my father’s work in his studio,which was in our home, I knew from very early on that I would devote my life to painting. I joined the School of Plastic Arts of Santiago de Cuba and graduated in 1965.

2. What life experiences have marked your work?
I can think of two experiences; The birth of my daughter and motherhood itself. Furthermore, in 2000, my daughter suffered from a severe accident. The struggle for recovery was a traumatic experience, which has also been reflected in my work.

3. What do you get with abstraction and expressive language?
As the word indicates, "abstraction" means abstracting; extracting from reality is difficult because the abstraction must reach a limit synthesis of reality. You have to select what we consider most important, of our inner world, our environment and our experiences of human nature.