After high school, Justin attended digital art workshops at Exceptional Minds in Sherman Oaks, California and at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. He is the business owner of Artistic Expressions by Justin K Valenti. He has exhibited artwork in Maryland, Virginia and California.
Justin has been an advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities for the last ten years. When Justin was in 8th grade, he accompanied MCIE to the US Congress to advocate for the inclusion of people with disabilities. Justin has been on the Board of Directors for The Arc Maryland since 2020. He designed a community mural with a focus on inclusion, acceptance, unity, and diversity at Wheaton Regional Park in Maryland. In November 2023, Justin received the Maryland Governor’s Award for his outstanding achievements in Disability Culture.
In addition to being an artist and advocate, Justin is also an author of five books and the drummer in a band called Neurodiversity.
Justin Valenti is supported in part by funding from the Montgomery County Government and the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County.
Artist Statement
As a digital artist, I am interested in themes related to nature, animals, pop culture, and digital art. My work is based on kinetic and optical art. I use optical illusions as backgrounds in my artwork and the objects in my artwork look like they are in motion. Most of my artwork is based on pictures that I take myself and find online. I create backgrounds using optical illusions in Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop and place my drawings on top of these backgrounds. I also superimpose images of animals and pieces of pop culture, placing them into an interesting setting for the viewer to explore.
I create fluid art using a range of different colors and techniques. Each painting is one of a kind because the colors flow in an unpredictable way on each canvas. I select my colors based on my mood and then mix the colors myself using Floetrol to thin the paint and silicone drip oil to create special effects. I pour the paint onto the canvas and continue to manipulate the flow to create the special effects. I want each viewer to have a unique experience. Everyone can interpret the colors and movement their own way using their imagination.
“I enjoy making art because it allows me to express how I feel emotionally in a productive way, and I want to share the joy that I have with others.”
