by Pat Tyson

Born in San Diego in 1957 and raised in Tijuana, Aida Margarita Valencia has become recognized for creating contemporary fine art, which combines hand-painted metal with ancient European mosaic techniques. 

The youngest of five children, Valencia grew up in a very close-knit family.  Her parents, Ofelia Gonzalez, (“the artistic one in the family”) and Manuel Valencia, both from Tijuana.  Her father was formerly a professional golfer who used to bring his entire family on his travels, introducing them to the outside world while they were young. Originally planning to become a veterinarian, she entered the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, the oldest and largest private University in Mexico, graduating in 1981.

“I was a biologist and worked for the government under the Secretary of Fishing for a couple of years in México City,” she explained. Next, moving to the coast of the Michoacán state, known for its rich and varied culture, she worked as a marine, biologist focusing on the conservation of turtles. Living in a rural Nahuatl community exposed her to the region’s folk art and she became friendly with many artists there. It was here a small seed was planted in her mind. After three years, tiring of governmental work, she felt the need to change courses.

Unfortunately, it was at this point Valencia’s life changed drastically when she had a serious accident, putting her in a two-week coma and leading to numerous surgeries. It was devastating for this strong, independent woman to find herself helpless in a wheelchair and depending upon others to care for her needs. However, her indomitable spirit pushed her to struggle through physical therapy, to finally using a cane and walking again. Her perspective on life was changed.

 “It took a lot of courage to start all over again,” she says, “but while I was in the hospital, I had stumbled upon a television program featuring a woman – covering her house with ceramics.” This piqued Valencia’s interest and led her to thinking that, if ever she could walk again, she would learn how to do mosaic work. That is how the idea got started.  She lived with her parents and learned how to lay tile, producing a series of mosaic tables and becoming the first artist in México to rediscover an almost forgotten art form. She took an extensive variety of classes to learn about metalwork, glass fusing and both pebble and Byzantine glass mosaic.

“Then I wandered off to start studying carpentry, painting and, finally, went to Italy to study Mosaic art at Ravenna, Italy, with Lucianna Noturni for a couple of months.” She continued to travel and expand her knowledge when she went to Venice with the Orsini Family in the Byzantine glass factory, where she studied sculpture and Byzantine mosaic.  Later, she continued on to Udine to work with smalt, as well as learn diverse techniques with pebbles and stones in Arizona. In turning her hand to various occupations, such as buying and selling art, she saw a way to design and make furniture and pottery herself and was highly successful.

“Now I have a studio in Tijuana where I have been working for the past twenty-seven years,” she says happily. “I’m a member of the Society of American Artists and the International Mosaic Artist’s association in Ravenna.  I’ve done solo exhibitions in my hometown of Tijuana, a collective exhibition in the SAMA showings, as well as in Ciudano, Italy, in Miami, San Diego Museum of Man, the Second District Gallery in Long Beach, the Folk Tree Collection Gallery and many more.” She has even participated in the first international association of contemporary mosaics convention in Australia.

“I also have an art gallery in San Diego, where my work is exhibited, she states.  “I was invited by the San Diego Art Foundation to be at a complex they are developing called Liberty Station. This historic building was the Marine Barracks in Point Loma and is now close to the downtown airport.”The space captivated her as a great place for art and is in its second phase with fifteen galleries. “Mine is called Casa Valencia Galeria Baja; we only show work done by Baja California artists.”

Valencia has received many awards that include First Place at the International SAMA exhibition in San Diego for “Imagination and Magic,” a full sculpture shown at the Museum of Man; First Place for “Take Care of Me” at the Second District Gallery in Long Beach, as well as an honorable mention for The Musician, in the same show.  Her most recent work, “Vital and Land In Movement,” was selected to be shown in Ciudano.

She describes her favorite components.

“I like to mix natural stone, Venetian smalt, cooper wood and metal structures in my sculptures,” she says. “I love mixing materials and having complex movement in my work, so I try to look for a great variety of natural materials as well as recycled metals.”  In 2007 she began to work on her Mandala Series – artworks made from metal, semi-precious stones, glass and recycled materials. In Eastern religion the Mandela describes both material and non-material realities and represents wholeness. 

“We have presented many artists,” she says, “the project’s name is “Un Paso Al Norte”– a step to the North.  We have great expectations and did Baja Art Book, introducing 16 contemporary Baja artists.  Our goal is to take art north and then invite California artists to bring their work south to create a really binational venture.” And what are her most rewarding achievement and goals?

“My goal is to bring back the artistic expression with mosaics, making the art contemporary and expressive, so that people can get immersed in and feel the work,” Valencia concludes. “Mexico is now awakening and the culture industry is viable.  We need to exhibit our work more internationally so we can grow–the future is in our hands.”