Jonathan Valdivias

Jonathan Valdivias (b. 1988) is an artist based in the Bay Area. Since joining NIAD Art Center in 2010, he has produced hundreds of drawings, paintings, and prints inspired by daily life, friendship, and art history. Some of these drawings have been bound into artist’s books or coloring pages; others are funny and irreverent collages in which Valdivias places googly eyes over magazine advertisements and printed art reproductions.

The center of his practice is portraiture. In recent years, Valdivias has created tender and playful versions of himself on paper, canvas, and wood. These portraits range from monochromatic ink drawings to high chroma acrylic paintings, and are at once welcoming and introspective. One such life-sized painted figure reimagines the artist with self-portraits tattooed on both arms, each miniature face regarding the other. 

In 2022, Jonathan Valdivias presented a solo exhibition of portraits titled Me! Jonathan at the ODC Theater in San Francisco, CA. His work has also been featured in numerous group shows, including those at Sonoma State University, Chico Art Center, Oakland Museum of California, the San Jose & San Mateo public libraries, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.