Lena Valenzuela

Lena Valenzuela (Hamburg, Germany, 1989) lives and works in Berlin. She works predominantly with painting, drawing and sculpture. In the current series “Women and Horses”, the stereotypical role models of the female, long defined by the male perspective, are questioned in order to be translated into a contemporary position. Formally, the balancing act between kitsch and a serious examination of cliches is challenged in Valenzuela’s work. On a second level, the themes of the ephemeral and representations from an art-historical context also play a major role, which is why her figures often have something retro-like about them, often seem outdated or look like ghosts. Her painting revolves around moments of surprise, nakedness and powerlessness. These familiar emotions are tragically funny and familiar to most. The characters are often enraptured or isolated, reflecting the fragility of human being. She has exhibited at the Grisebach auction house and at MISA art in Berlin, among others. In 2022 she was awarded the recognition prize of the Walter St.hrer Prize for drawings and graphics.