ZONOLUMI is the artistic pseudonym of Valentina Canales, a South Florida-based multimedia artist of Peruvian-Argentinian heritage. Working at the intersection of performance, photography, memory, sound, and the body, her practice transforms personal and collective trauma into poetic acts of healing, empathy, and radiant expression — both literal and metaphysical.
Born in 2001 to immigrant parents, Valentina grew up immersed in a rich cultural atmosphere shaped by resilience, spirituality, and self-education. Her mother, Mariella Canales, was raised in a Catholic orphanage in Lima, Peru, where she received a deep education in the arts—from classical literature and opera to ballet and painting. Her father, Rodolfo Canales, from Mar del Plata, Argentina, taught himself art history and classical music despite having no formal training, later channeling his aesthetic intuition into architectural and interior design.
From a young age, Valentina was steeped in artistic disciplines. She trained in classical ballet through the Vaganova method, performing in canonical productions such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Carmen. She studied piano and violin, explored nature photography, and frequently traveled between the U.S., Peru, and Argentina—exposing her to third-world realities, beauty, and economic inequality. These early experiences cultivated a complex inner world and shaped her sense of identity across borders and disciplines.
At 16, Valentina underwent major hip surgery that disrupted her dance career and transformed her physical awareness. Just two months into her recovery, she witnessed the tragic Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018. These physical and emotional traumas marked a profound rupture—one that would later emerge as a catalyst for transformation.
Despite her artistic foundation, Valentina pursued an academic path, graduating in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from Florida Atlantic University. She initially intended to enter medical school, driven by a strong sense of social responsibility. Yet throughout her studies, she struggled with depression, anxiety, and a painful disconnection from her creative essence. Science could not replace the need for expression. Her inner conflict eventually gave way to clarity: art was not a selfish pursuit—it was a necessary and vital force.
This realization crystallized around a singular scientific phenomenon: sonoluminescence—a process in which a tiny gas bubble in liquid emits a flash of light when compressed by intense sound waves. This conversion of sound into light became both metaphor and manifesto. It reflected Valentina’s own creative emergence: pressure, silence, and pain collapsing into sudden brilliance. From this vision, ZONOLUMI was born.
Today, ZONOLUMI is more than a name—it is a philosophy. Her work explores fragility, resilience, migration, embodiment, and the sacred dimensions of transformation. Through performance, image, and presence, she creates luminous spaces of reflection and repair. Past and present collapse into light—offering not only personal catharsis but a universal invitation to witness, feel, and heal.
ZONOLUMI continues to shape her trajectory as an independent voice of a new generation—committed to making art that bridges inner vision with social consciousness, illuminating paths forward.
