Artist Statement
Paula is an immigrant artist born in Vitória, Brazil that has lived her life between many cities and countries. Paula has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and art, and a master’s degree in clinical mental health and in art therapy. Paula’s art is the marriage between creativity, poetry, and psychological research. Paula uses art as a tool for social justice, personal development, and community building. As an art therapist, Paula works with different populations with the same goal to utilize art as a tool for liberation. Paula has worked with previously incarcerated men, using art as a tool to re-integrate into society. Her work with undocumented Latina women created a sense of home in a foreign culture. No matter what population, Paula sees art as way to bring together communities despite race, social economic status, or culture. Most passionately, she uses creative platforms as a dialogue for personal activism. In her paintings she incorporates words blending into colorful backgrounds with universal messages about humanity, relationships, self-awareness, justice, collective consciousness, or deeply personal reflections about life and love. Paula believes art is a tool for dialogue and it is in the dialogue that the art is formed.
Clinically trained as an art therapist, she knows art is a tool used for human development and social change. On canvas, poetry and images meet to tell stories and express common emotions of the human existence. Paula’s hope is that her art invites us to look deeper, to ask questions, and to find comfort with the relatedness of the experience of life. Bright colors come together to create visually tempting and satisfying palettes that stand out on walls and draw in attention, and the words ask you to pay attention to your own experience and resonance with the work. If she wants her creativity to achieve anything, is to invite you into curiosity—to become avidly curious about the workings of life, both internal and external.
Exhibitions
2024/May: LeMoyne Arts “From Grief to Grace”, Solo Exhibition, Tallahassee, FL
2023/July: LeMoyne Arts “Abstract The Land of Dreams”, Group Exhibition, Tallahassee, FL
2022/March: The Dairy Arts Center “Presentiment”, Boulder, CO
2021/September: Arvada Art Center, “Word Play”, Arvada, CO
2021/August: The Cube Gallery, “The Nature of Love”, Boulder, CO
2020/Feb: Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, “From This Day Forward”, Boulder, CO-Group Exhibition
2019/April: Live West Realty, Boulder, CO--Group Private Exhibition
2019/Dec: Art Basel Private Showing for Andre Texeira Realty, Miami, FL- Solo Exhibition
2017/July: LPC Art Bar, Longmont, CO- Group Exhibition
2017/April: Live West Realty, Boulder, CO--Group Private Exhibition
2017/February: Art Bravo Exhibition, Ft. Lauderdale, FL--Group Exhibition
2016/August: Nalanda Gallery: Boulder "Finding Peace in Chaos"--Solo Exhibition
2015/September: Art Serve Gallery: Ft.Lauderdale "Art Brazil"--Group Exhibition
2014/October: Banco do Brasil Art Series: Miami, FL "Art Speaks for Itself"--Group Exhibition
2014/ September: Art Serve Gallery: Ft.Lauderdale, FL "Art Brazil"--Group Exhibition (AWARDED BEST IN SHOW)
2013/ June: Galleria Exhibition Art: Fano, Italy "Lasciando False Speranze"--Solo Exhibition
2013/ February: Maui Tropical Plantation: Kahului, Hawaii "Maui Open Studios"--Group Exhibition
2013/ February: Independent Venue: Hana, HI "Contained"--Solo Exhibition
2012/June: Het Entrepôt: Brugge, Belgium "Petank"--Group Exhibition
2012/ May: Wynwood Building: Miami, FL "A White Page"--Solo Exhibition
2012/December: Art Basel: Miami, FL "Parallax Art Fair"--Group Exhibition
2011/ August: Citibank Fundraiser: Key Biscayne, FL "From Island to Island"--Solo Exhibition
2011/ April: Pitzer College Galleries: Claremont, CA "Phenogenesis: An Evolution of Art"-- Group Exhibition
