Valerie Walchek

"It is Hope which allows us to see the invisible and enables us to achieve the impossible. I explore how our perceptions can be intruded on and transformed despite unchangeable circumstances, transforming us, enabling us to see beauty where it isn't obvious. "

Valerie Walchek's work springs from her own learning to see life through a lens she refers to as Defiant Hope. Primarily functional, her forms are created to be touched and are layered with meaning. The effectiveness is born out; delight is prompted even before people are aware of her message. Every aspect, from the use of colors, shapes and textures, to the surprising lightness, is intentional.

Using stoneware, Walchek explores of how details transform our perceptions. A red dot on a stark background reveals hope's power to unveil joy; cherry branches intersecting a rigid, cubic background shows hope's presence amid life's rigid pressures and demands; birds where numbers are expected bring hope's delight amid daily demands. And 24K repair joinery? Hope restored when all has been broken.

A self-taught ceramicist, Walchek has degrees in wood sculpture, art history, history and philosophy from CSU. These, as well as her spiritual convictions, deeply inform her work. Much of her early life was spent traveling the world with her family and the cultural influences abound. She has studied art and taught in the Middle East, Europe, Japan, and Russia, and currently resides in FL.