Valian is a Middle Eastern, San Francisco-based artist interested in the relationship between the individuals and the manipulated world shaped by war, ideology, and displacement. Her perspective is informed by a nuanced understanding of firsthand experiences with armed conflict, fractured identity, and the impact of political oppression. She has lost several relatives to war, and a defining moment in her life occurred when her favorite cousin lost his legs to a landmine on the front line. Through imagery narrative, Valian weaves together formative stories that challenge dominant narratives and question how identity is constructed under systems of violence and control.
Recently, Valian showcased her art projects at various notable venues, including the Wattis Gallery and the Institute of Contemporary Art in San Francisco, the NUMU Museum in Los Gatos, the Shibori Museum in Kyoto Japan, atop of SalesForce Tower in San Francisco, YBCA. ( Yerba Buena Center of the Arts ), the Santa Fe Art Institute in New Mexico and the University of California Berkeley.
