Jose Omar Valenzuela...

is a New York-based graphic designer and collage artist. Born in Lima, Peru, it was there that he was first exposed to Japanese television shows such as Mazinger Z and Sankoukai. He also loved Superfriends and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, and these exciting shows ignited his passion for working with his hands. As a child, he began experimenting with paper, colored pencils, scissors, and glue, using these early art supplies to create his paper figures and playsets based on his favorite shows.

During his pre-teen years, he moved to South Florida, where he learned English by attending a multinational bilingual school. This immersion into different cultures later fueled his curiosity for travel. At this time, he also discovered comic books like Batman, Justice League, and X-Men, while growing his collection of 1980s action figures and developing a love for '80s New Wave music. During college, realizing that all his peers were creative, he decided to give graphic design a chance—and it awakened a hidden talent.

After college, he moved to New York City to pursue a career in graphic design. There, he gained experience as an in-house packaging designer for mobile accessories, photography accessories, and, later, cleaning accessories. He continued to develop his artistic skills by taking collage, bookmaking, letterpress, silk screening, and risograph printing courses at various NYC art institutions. He considers himself an explorer and collector, which is reflected in his collages, where he loves reconfiguring images. His work as a packaging designer has also allowed him to step away from the computer and return to working with his hands, just as he did during his childhood in Lima.