About Valerie Williams:

Valerie was born and raised in the Bronx. Even as a young child, she showed artistic talent in her drawings and paintings. Her fashion sense was visible in the outfits she designed for Barbie and her other dolls.

After completing a B.S. and 2/3 of a MS in Biology, Valerie worked as a research Biologist. Developing film and printing pictures at work brought her back in touch with art. Along with her interests in photography, she taught herself silk-screening and numerous other fabric painting and manipulating techniques. She used her silk-screening talents to silk screen various ethnic designs on earthy, natural colored 100% cotton t-shirts to sell at street fairs. Realizing she needed some additional business skills, in 2002, she enrolled in FIT’s Continuing Education program. There she received the information, personal advice, confidence and nurturing to pursue her dreams of starting a life in fashion and art.

To bring a more natural, organic feel and look to her art designs, Valerie incorporates plants, flowers, animal and biology related images which are beautiful and sensuous to the eye.

Valerie is also known for her vibrant 35mm macro floral photography, fabric painting and for her more recent SEM photographs of flowers, seeds and Bermuda beach sand.

Early in her career, Valerie was fascinated with the art of science. Experimenting with different photography styles, printing and fabric techniques, dye combinations and formulations, has led to her unique views and artistic expression.

Since the early 1990’s she has worked in various scientific environments, where she has had access to the high tech microscopes, like the scanning electron microscope. There she perfected her micro photographic techniques.

In her work, Valerie seeks to reveal the hidden mysteries of an, until now unknown world, not visible to the common eye. She achieves a sensual glow in her black & white and color photographs from the interaction between light, shade and especially texture. She does this by photographing the specimens under ideal conditions at high magnifications of 200x or more.

Valerie Williams studied art and science at SUNY at Oneonta and Old Westbury. She graduated from SUNY at Old Westbury with a Bachelor of Science in biology and minor in art and chemistry. She has since taken additional art classes at SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology and participated in several FIT art shows and displays between 2004-2006. She exhibited her painted, printed, and batik textile art, mixed media, and linoleum block prints at the Wearable Arts Show at the NY Harlem State Office Bldg.