Laura Valentina Cifuentes Almanza
Twerk performance
Laura Valentina Cifuentes Almanza is a multi-disciplinary artist born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia. Her work encompasses a variety of time-based media, poetry, dancing, singing, material exploration, and textiles. She moved to the United States in 2016 and in 2020, she graduated with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Studies and Sociology from Loras College in Dubuque, IA. She graduated with distinction, and her outstanding academic performance earned her the prestigious title of Sociology Student of the Year. Her thesis documentary La Violencia Generalizada was later awarded an Upper Midwest Student Production Award for best College-Non Fiction- Short Form time-based media piece from the National Academy of Television Arts And Sciences. Laura is also part of the School Of Visual Arts MFA Art Practice’s 2023 cohort. Laura's creative passion lies in bringing attention to societal issues by speaking through her own lived experiences and her identity as a Latina woman. She employs an extensive sociological research methodology in her artistic endeavors, as well as a lot of experimentation with her body. Furthermore, her politically-charged work with an intersectional feminist approach underscores the symbiotic relationship between individuals and society, and how their experiences are interwoven.