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10.29.25 – 01.23.26

Reception: 11.12.25
6:30-7:30pm

universe [held]

by Valerie Yeo

Program Description:

Our hands are one of the most expressive parts of our body. They are integral to our work, our rest, our play, and our connections with other people. They are made from the same elements as earth, fire, water, and air, and as such, a constant reminder of our connection to nature. We use our hands intuitively every day, and amass a colossal and innate wisdom contained inside our skin. This series is an intimate collection of hand portraits belonging to loved ones in my queer, trans, and Black, Indigenous, and Person of Color (QTBIPOC) community. Each pair reflects the unique fingerprint each person reflects in my life.  As I was making this series, I was struck by the radiance contained inside each set of hands, and the ever-shifting light surrounding them, a reminder of the abundance contained inside us individually and collectively.

Artist Statement:

I love the idea of ephemerality, and the beauty of a moment that does not last forever. Much of my recent work draws on themes of diaspora, found family, ancestors, and energy—all elements that are ever changing in nature. I was born in Singapore, a country not yet 100 years old, and I’ve lived many lives since. Sometimes the ghosts of these past lives manifest in different ways, their forms changing with the shifting of each season. In this series, I chose to paint each pair of hands in soft pastel, itself a fragile and ephemeral medium. The hands themselves are also transitory, and they are captured in this series as a moment in time. They will continue to change outside of these snapshots, learning new ways of being, finding paths forward and places of stillness in the midst of life’s chaos, and sowing love where they can.

Artist Bio:

Valerie Yeo (they/she) is a queer artist, community organizer, educator, and psychologist. Each of their identities informs the others, and are infused into their creative life. They create with mediums including oil and acrylic paint, soft pastel, digital art, and collage. Their work explores creative practice as meditation and intuition.

To find more about their work, check out their website here!