Artist Statement
The medium is the message - Marshall McLuhan
Paula’s passion for nature and her interest in politics have a direct correlation with her personal life. Growing up in Barcelona as a political exile, Paula has an ingrained sense of identity related to the political landscape. She has always felt fascinated by nature and its symbolism; Paula’s experiences of travel and relocation, particularly to Australia have further expanded her understanding of what nature is capable of and of the relationships between people, land and nature.
Paula focusses on the subjugation of nature through the reconfiguration of flora, the process of decolonisation and investigates the politicising of plants through the material thinking and handling of clay and collage. She researches, explores and examines how fine art practice might approach and foreground the decolonisation and politicising of nature by analysing and responding to address the exploitation of land using colour, the power of multiples, scale, movement and joy.
Paula has an artistic style of expression that uses complex forms, bold ornamentation and the juxtaposition of contrasting elements often conveying a sense of drama, movement and tension. She attempts to redress the imbalance created by anthropocentrism and allow nature to be seen as a dynamic subject rather than a passive object in art.
Bio
Paula was born in Argentina but grew up as a political exile in Barcelona, Spain. Paula’s parents were very young and had an extensive political and cultural awareness that shaped her deeply while growing up. Barcelona was the perfect cosmopolitan place to grow, as Paula was interested from a very young age in arts, politics, poetry, philosophy and literature. The political background of Catalunya (Catalan) with the civil war and the Republican movement were the pillars of her interpretation of the world and the poet Miguel Hernandez was one of Paula’s most treasured inspirations in her life.
The unlimited access to international exhibitions of the masters, contemporary artists from around the world, the vast amount of festivals, European cinema and literature events provided Paula with an interest for the history of art that made her pursue the Bachelor’s degree. That further brought Paula to studies of Restoration of oil in canvas and the yearly preparation for the official school of restoration of Catalunya. She decided to follow her second passion, languages, and became a teacher of Spanish as a second language. Paula can currently speak four languages.
Paula moved in 2008 to Brisbane, Australia. She studied painting courses at the Brisbane Institute of Art and completed workshops with Marcel Desbiens for oil painting techniques while at the same time was volunteering at radio 4EB weekly, broadcasting a radio program called “Women’s Profile”. Through collaborations and engagement with the public she started to understand the cultural life of Australia and its history. After gaining her third nationality (Australian), Paula studied a Diploma of Visual Arts (2016), a Bachelor of Visual Arts from the University of Canberra (2019) and completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) in 2020, achieving a first class honours at the Griffith University Queensland College of Art.
Paula’s personal practice took a radical change when she encountered clay and wood, sculpture and ceramics are her biggest passion with her artworks found in private collections in Australia, Spain, USA and Mexico.
In August 2021, Paula opened Red, Blue & Yellow Ceramic Studio, Art Gallery and Workshop Space to expand her practice and provide a learning centre focussed on developing ceramic skills.
Education
PhD Candidate, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane (Current)
Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours (First Class), Queensland College of Art, Griffith University, Brisbane 2020
Bachelor of Visual Arts, University of Canberra, Brisbane 2019
Diploma in Visual Arts, TAFE Queensland, Southbank Campus, Brisbane 2017
Level 1 in Oil Painting, Marcel Desbiens, Brisbane 2015
Painting 1 & Painting 2 Acrylic, Brisbane Institute of Art, Brisbane 2014
Exhibitions & Events
Sculpture on the Edge, Flaxton Gardens, Nov/Dec 2023
Ground: Thinking and Feeling with the Earth Vol. 2, with Georgia Walsh, Sean Williams, Man&Wah, & Allfrey, curated by Paula de la Rua Cordoba, The Loft Gallery, Redcliffe, November 2023
Guymer & Bailey Architects Art Show, Brisbane, October 2023
QUT Sustainability Festival, Gardens Point & Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, August 2023
Ground: Thinking and Feeling with the Earth Vol. 1, with Georgia Walsh, Sean Williams and Man&Wah, curated by Paula de la Rua Cordoba, Woolloongabba Substation, Brisbane, July 2023
Small Wonders Exhibition: Outside Inside, Plant Empire, Brisbane, March 2023
Sculpture on the Edge, Flaxton Gardens, Nov/Dec 2022
Decompose: Decoding Knowledge, with Yulia Skorina, Adam Southgate, Renee Kire and Lorissa Toweel, Griffith Webb Gallery, September 2022
QUT Sustainability In The House Makers Market, Old Government House, August 2022
Looking Back, Looking Forward, with Ruth Cho, Casey Coolwell, Mark du Potiers, Madison Bygrave, Leigh Lynam, Kyra Mancktelow, Sally Molloy, Perrin Millard, Dylan Mooney, Dylan Sarra, Erika Scott, Gin Sen, Daniel Sherington, Diana Vallejo, POP Gallery, Brisbane, April 2022
Down to Earth, with Jan Lawnikanis, Anita West, Bastian Allfrey, Marcel Desbiens, Man & Wah, Catherine Aboud, Bronwyn Searle, co-curated with Marcel Desbiens, Red, Blue & Yellow Art Gallery, Brisbane, December 2021
QCA Fair, Griffith University, December 2021
Garden Art Exhibition, Plant Empire, Brisbane, October 2021
As We Stand, with Ruaa Al-Rikabi, Kyra Mancktelow, Dylan Mooney, Lucy Nguyễn-Hunt and Amy Sargeant, curated by Georgia Hayward, Outer Space, Brisbane, June 2021
Gardens of Babylon, BAD, Bib’N’Brace Collective, Brisbane, May 2021
Honours Graduation Exhibition, Webb Gallery, Brisbane, December 2020
Untold, Bib’N’Brace Collective, Brisbane, December 2019
Art and Artist Bazaar, Bib’N’Brace Collective, December 2019
Art and Artist Bazaar, Bib’N’Brace Collective, November 2019
Stellar Artist Showcase, Raw, The Met, Brisbane, August 2019
Blurring the Line, Bib’N’Brace Collective, Brisbane, April 2019
Memento Graduate Exhibition,TAFE Brisbane Southbank, Brisbane, July 2017
Painting 2 Graduate Exhibition, Metcalfe Gallery, Brisbane Institute of Art, Brisbane, September 2014
Painting 1 Graduate Exhibition, Metcalfe Gallery, Brisbane Institute of Art, Brisbane, June 2014
Awards and Prizes
Reclaimed and Recycled Art Category Prize, Sculpture on the Edge Competition 2022
Dean’s Excellence Award, University of Canberra 2019
Dean’s Excellence Award, University of Canberra 2018
Professional Experience
HDR Design Sprint: Decarbonisation & the UN Sustainable Development Goals, QUT Kelvin Grove, March 2023
Panellist, with Dr Marcus Foth, Dr Jen Seevinck & Hira Sheikh, More-Than-Human Maker Symposium, QUT Kelvin Grove, August 2022
QUT QRSnet Workshop: Ceramic Art Workshop, at Red, Blue & Yellow Ceramic Studio, August 2022
QUT QRSnet Workshop: Clay Art 1 & 2, QUT Gardens Point, April 2022
Owner and operator of Red, Blue & Yellow Ceramic Studio, Art Gallery & Workshop space, August
2021
University of Canberra Teacher, Ceramics workshop, teaching slip casting, mould making and surface treatment, University of Canberra Southbank Campus, Brisbane, (3 weeks, March) 2019
Artist Buddy Art for Kids Vinnies buddies day program, Richlands, October 2018
Mentor, Ceramics mentorship, TAFE Queensland Southbank Campus, Brisbane, March 2018
TAFE Queensland Teacher, Slip-casting techniques workshop, TAFE Queensland Southbank Campus, Brisbane, March 2018
TAFE Queensland Panellist, with Nicola Hooper, Symposium, TAFE Queensland Southbank Campus, Brisbane, November 2017
Performer, Karike Ashworth, Home of the Brave II, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove Campus, Brisbane, July 2017
Radio 4EB Volunteer, 2009-2012
Further Study
ELE Spanish, Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language, International House, Barcelona 2008
Preparation course for entry to Catalunya School of Restoration, Barcelona 2006
Level 1 Restoration of Oil on Canvas, Escola de Conservacio I Restauracio D’Obres D’Art, ECORE (ECORE School of Conservation and Restoration of Art Works), Barcelona 2004
History of Art studies, Universitat Autonoma, Barcelona 2000 - 2003