Personal Statement

I have been surrounded by art for as long as memory reaches. My parents cherished not only the visual arts but also music, literature, and every form of creative expression. Our home was filled with original, unique paintings and sculptures, nestled among hundreds of books and records. From them I learned that art is not decoration, but a way of life. My deep reverence for beauty is a legacy from my parents. 

I grew up drawing beside my mother who, beyond being an exceptional surgeon, carried the grace of a natural artist. Her sister, the celebrated Peruvian painter Tilsa Tsuchiya, placed the first oil brushes in my hands and taught me how color can breathe. Years later, while studying with a renowned South Texas artist, I discovered the delicate balance of watercolor. Since then, I have sought to translate my visions into strokes of paint—onto canvas, paper, anything willing to hold a fragment of what I see. 

My life with a writer, Alejandro Sánchez-Aizcorbe, has deepened this search. Our days unfold in a shared pursuit of beauty in the unexpected and the imperfect. Art does not live only in harmony or elegance, it thrives in tension, in contrast, in the raw edges of experience. Over time, my curiosity has expanded into a devotion to all artistic languages: painting, sculpture, music, literature, photography, and the experimental forms that defy categorization. 

Now I feel compelled to offer my own interpretations. Art is a language, a way to communicate the extraordinary within the ordinary.    

I hope that my work inspires the beholders to cultivate their own reverence for the beauty that surrounds us in all forms. I hope these works serve as bridges to their own curiosity, much like the art that first shaped my world. 

This exhibition gathers the works that most faithfully embody these visions. 

Marcela Valencia Tsuchiya 

Baltimore, Fall 2026