Meet Valerie Vibar of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Valerie Vibar.

Hi Valerie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hi!

I started when I was a child. I’ve always been passionate about the arts. My grandmother was a pianist and a singer, plus she was also gifted in the fine arts. As they say, certain things run in the family, and talent really did run in mine. My grandmother’s father, my great-grandfather, was also a brilliant poet. So with everything that I do, I would say it all started with my family, specifically my grandparents. They raised me. I inherited their talents, as well as their personality. And when I was young, they simply let me be. My grandfather would buy art supplies and just let me do whatever I wanted. I was self-taught. Most people don’t believe that, but I truly was. I taught myself how to paint. I attended music school, but I mastered the piano in just two years because I was so determined to learn the music of the greats. My piano teacher would tell me that I was not ready for Beethoven, but I didn’t care. I’d go home and learn it myself.

That’s where I started. Today, I’m happy. For the past decade, if anyone asked about my dream, I’d always say, “to be happy.” And right now, I truly am.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There will always be struggles. I guess the biggest struggle is learning how to navigate this world. We grow up in environments that dictate how and who we should be. I was raised in the Philippines, where we are still, in the year 2026, very conservative. And, again, I do way too much. I paint, I write, I sing, I play the piano, I act, I do stand-up comedy, etc. It’s a lot, and I’m a lot. I’m aware of that. And I’ve accepted myself even if most people haven’t.

I believe that my biggest struggle is learning to accept myself. When you’re raised in traditional environments, there are rules you must follow, or you must be ostracized. And I get a lot of backlash for my words, but who cares at this point? When you’re a woman in Asia (East Asia and Southeast Asia specifically), you must be small. That’s why women there infantilize themselves, or become subservient, or follow the rules of the toxic patriarchy, where women belong in the kitchen and with the kids. I was raised in that environment, and it always terrified me. I didn’t want to become an object, & I didn’t want to become someone’s punching bag. When I say I was frightened, I was frightened, so I learned to welcome onto myself some very masculine traits that some people think that my pronouns are “they/them”. (It’s “she/her” by the way, if you want clarity on that). I didn’t realize how heavy my masks and my armor were until recently, and I can’t help but go, “Who the hell am I?” This struggle, becoming someone else so that you can be accepted, is something I still struggle with today. And I say this because I’m in the arts, and the art field is such a beautiful world because it’s about your feelings, it’s about love and betrayal, it’s about the world and how we come to see it. The art world, whatever medium you may see yourself in, is a very sensitive world that attracts people who seek to belong. And that’s why I think I’m attracted to it. I was looking for a world where I could feel safe.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Oh my. There’s way too much that I do – art, writing, music, acting, comedy, etc. I’ll just speak in a general sense that will encompass all of it, but certain topics might be more directed.

If I may choose something extremely specific, when it comes to my paintings, I used to be known for the birds that I paint. That has become my symbol. However, since returning to art in Los Angeles, most people who have seen my work in person remember me for my paintings of foxes.

Birds represent freedom, and in a way, it represents me and my deepest longing to feel liberated in a world that has way too many rules. The fox, however, represents an ex. This ex of mine, I used to call him the most beautiful man I ever met. I vomit now at the thought of that. It was six years I spent with him, and the fox is him. It’s sly. It’s cunning. It’s someone you can’t trust. It’s someone sneaky yet charismatic. And, sadly, I fell for that. We’re over now, so I doubt you’ll see any more foxes in my paintings. If there is one, feel free to slap me back to reality. I never overthink my paintings. I never plan it. It just happens, and I refuse to stop my hands from painting whatever it wants. In my current painting, I have Greek soldiers hunting down Pegasus mixed in with rabbits having a colonial tea party. It doesn’t make sense now, but wait until you see it!

What am I most proud of… when it comes to my work… I believe it’s finding my voice, and I mean that with everything that I do. When you look at my paintings, you know that it was me who did that. When you hear me do stand-up, you know I’m the only one who can deliver that very unique story and those mind-boggling jokes. I’m probably one of the very few stand-up comics who do splits in her routine.

My voice, my energy, my personality – I’m unique. I’m proud of that. I am who I am. I follow my very strict moral compass, and I do what I want. I don’t follow the traditional rules of joke-making, painting, or the other stuff. I believe in one thing: freedom. I don’t paint to sell. I don’t act for money. I do what I want, and somehow someone always finds me. I don’t sacrifice authenticity because of current trends. Most people find me strange because of it, but let me damned. I am who I am, and I won’t trade myself for anyone else.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I have a very loud and fun personality. Very positive and very open. So it always surprises people when I let “Madam President” come out.

“Madam President” is a side of me that I believe is sacred. It started as a joke when I was in high school. Thirteen-year-old me wanted to run for the Philippine president so that I could change the country. I started a mock election in my class, I went against my friend, and I won! And I was very eloquent even at that age. Very worldly and aware. Just simply intelligent.

I like “Madam President”, but she doesn’t come out that often because I realized very early on that people, in general, don’t like people who are that serious. They like people who are fun, loud, and cheerful. So “Madam President” had to go to the backseat. She’s still there, but I’d rather be the person that I am today instead of the person who wants to run for office and change the world. “Madam President” comes out every so often, if needed, specifically when I need to be serious about something or if I’m talking about certain topics in front of a crowd. One time, I was talking about my great-grandfather, Governor Jesus Bautista, for this event. “Madam President” was the one doing the talking. After my speech, one of my friends came up to me and was like, “Whoa, did your great-grandfather just possess you? That was a different side of you!”

So yeah, I have a very serious side of me that wants nothing but to help society. When the time is right, I plan to open an orphanage in the Philippines. That time isn’t now, though. I still have to get my life together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.valerievibar.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valerie.vibar