Teen Artist Andres Valencia Debuts Solo Show at Nassau Museum

A 14-year-old painter whose work sells for six figures at international auction houses is bringing his first solo museum exhibition to Long Island this spring. “Profiles in Color: The Paintings of Andres Valencia” opens March 21 at the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn Harbor and runs through July 12. A VIP reception with the artist is scheduled for March 20.

The show features more than 30 paintings and drawings by Valencia, a California-based teen whose large-scale, vividly colored portraits have drawn a global audience since his professional debut at Miami Art Week in 2022. With sculpture, video animation, and objects from his personal collection added to the mix, the full exhibition tops 50 pieces. Veteran art industry curator Simon Watson organized the show.

Valencia started painting at age 5, inspired by artwork his father collected at home. Teachers at his public school noticed his ability early, and collectors and galleries quickly followed. That recognition turned into a career fast. His paintings sold for around $10,000 at his professional debut. They now regularly fetch between $50,000 and $150,000. A single work sold for $160,000 at a Phillips auction in Hong Kong.

His collectors read like a celebrity roll call. Eva Longoria, Sofía Vergara, soccer star Sergio Ramos, television host Michael Strahan, and musicians Karol G and V from BTS have all commissioned portraits from him. Longoria is lending one of her pieces to the Nassau show. Valencia’s Instagram following sits near 300,000, giving him a reach that most adult artists spend decades chasing.

His paintings blend the influence of Francisco Goya and Pablo Picasso with the sensibility of contemporary artist George Condo. His Mexican heritage and popular culture weave through the imagery as well, giving the work a layered quality that stands out in a market crowded with much older names.

Painting is only part of what Valencia does. He fires clay sculptures and produces stop-motion animated videos using handmade historical character figures he builds himself. The Nassau exhibition will include an immersive re-creation of his studio, complete with the sculptures used in his animations and a short film showing him at work. For Long Island families and school-age students, that studio installation may be the most compelling part of the visit. Watching a peer create at this level, and seeing the actual process behind the work, offers something a traditional gallery wall cannot.

Valencia has also donated more than $1 million worth of artwork to charitable causes, including fundraisers for amfAR and UNICEF. That record of giving sits alongside his commercial success without contradiction. He is, by any measure, already operating as a serious professional.

The Nassau County Museum of Art sits on the former Frick family estate, a 145-acre Gold Coast property in Roslyn Harbor. Henry Clay Frick purchased it in 1919 as a gift for his son and daughter-in-law. The grounds and setting give the museum a weight and permanence that makes hosting a 14-year-old’s debut solo show feel like a genuine statement, not a novelty booking.

For Long Island parents and teachers, this exhibition is worth putting on the calendar before spring break fills up. Arts education advocates have spent years arguing that young people need to see themselves reflected in cultural institutions, not just as future visitors but as current contributors. Valencia’s show makes that argument without saying a word. A public school student who started drawing at 5, influenced by his own household and heritage, now commands walls at a major museum and bidders at international auction houses.

The Nassau County Museum of Art is located at 1 Museum Drive in Roslyn Harbor. “Profiles in Color” runs through July 12. Information on tickets and the March 20 VIP reception is available through the museum’s website.