For our second Student Spotlight post, we would like to introduce you to the work of Valentina Lobos Munoz. Valentina is one of this year’s graduating MFA Contemporary Art’s students. Over the last year I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Valentina and her work, as we’ve explored fabric and printing options via the digital print facilities here at ECA.

Through her work Valentina aims to create a space where elements such as economic, racial and gender roles, can freely be questioned and reorganised, moving “beyond the perception of the land, water and people as resources or commodities.” By focusing on these elements, and how they are visually portrayed, Valentina has created a representational digital visual archive which can be used to create new and alternative realities, ones that reorganise and rearticulate these pre-existing elements. In Valentina’s own words “The virtual realm offers space for infinite combinations.”

Using both Sublimation and Reactive digital printing methods, Valentina has explored a range of textile techniques during her time here at ECA. Her piece titled Speculative Flag features digital drawings, which have been digitally printed within ECA, onto a beautiful Silk Organza. Bird, cotton and mountain, and Armadillo, are also digitally printed, but this time onto a lovely soft velvet using Sublimation prints.

You can find out more about Valentina and her work, including her recent MFA project here, as well as on Instagram. We wish you all the best Valentina, as we do to all this year’s graduating students! We’re excited to see how you’re work, and this project develops.

Speculative flag: Digital drawing and textile digital printing on silk. 300 x 130 cm. Edinburgh 2021