1988 - 1997 foundation & commercial arts

Chase Valentin was born and raised in Wales. He studied Graphic Design at Wrexham but left midway to join gothic circus Laughter In The Garden with whom he explored multiple aspects of design, production and stagecraft. At twenty-one he moved to London, working first at the BBC then training in PR Marketing with Liz Bolton Associates. In 1990 he began working as a media and events stylist, and as a freelancer was involved in multiple roles promoting enterprise on the UK's indie art, fashion, music scenes. 

 

1997 - 2017 fine art

In his mid twenties Valentin's experimentations with art and expression led to his exploration of clay.  Developing Raku firing techniques he produced sculptural pieces for exhibition. Following a rewarding period of travel and study, his mind further opened to the potential of life as an artist. Two summers (1993/94)  spent in St. Petersburg (Russia) in the company of practitioners of Timur Novikov's New Academism movement, gave him the inspiration and insight he needed. A year later he began painting, and in 1997 he produced his first solo show, 'Embryogenesis'. Over the next two decades, Valentin acted as his own impresario; independently-staging annual exhibitions in both traditional galleries and alternative spaces and presenting them as events. A combination of patron support, media interest, sponsorship and commissions enabled him to secure his (still current) studio in London's Pimlico in 2001 and he took up residence in the Languedoc region of France. In 2003 he moved to Valencia, Spain, where he lived for seven years.

 

2008 - 2017 multimedia expansion 

Through the next decade Valentin lived and worked in Lisbon, Portugal. Maintaining the freedom and opportunity to explore his creativity in various forms had become fundamental to his practice, and while paint continued to be his primary medium for both artistic expression and means of income, he looked to other avenues. Lisbon’s thriving theatre scene offered multiple challenges across design, direction, management and production. In tandem he established Irisbranca, a studio enterprise whose purpose was to probe the expressive applications of digital media. Projects involved solo and collaborative projects in filmmaking, music, photography and publishing, and as a result of the experience gained, he was invited to mentor students of Lisbon’s Lusofona and Bellas Artes universities through their exploration of arts, design and cinematography.

 

2018 - 2024 community arts

Upon his return to Wales in 2018, Valentin took a sabbatical from painting to involve himself with community-based arts initiatives. Settling in Fishguard, much of his efforts were directed towards Theatr Gwaun and the annual Aberjazz Fringe festival. His continued appetite for exploring new ground led to new experience producing and performing music and events with shows including ‘Sound & Vision’, ‘Solo & Blue’ and ‘The Electric Love Cabinet’. More recently he has been involved in songwriting and recording projects. As librettist he has been working with composer Sam Howley on a musical play about Oscar Wilde. As songwriter and producer his collaboration with musician Will Hughes resulted in their song album 'Live From The Opium Café'

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