VALERIE J. BOWER (b. 1986) is a documentary photographer and zine-maker born and raised in the Harbor Area, working primarily in Los Angeles. Through her black & white photography, she explores a range of topics including lowriding, west coast culture, underground music & art scenes, concert touring, and travel. She also seeks to show the qualities of everyday life that make people unique but also bond us together. Self-publishing over 50 zines since 2014, Valerie uses the zine as both a medium through which to share her work while considering the zine itself as the work of art. In 2017, Valerie's photography book "Homegirls" was archived into the Thomas J. Watson Library at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Her ongoing project (title TBD) explores how personal style is an extension of identity, individuality, and creativity by documenting the unique street style of young women at goth/punk/rap-hybrid shows around the U.S. .
Full CV is available upon request.