Brooklyn Bridge 2

Paola Bermudez is an artist from Bogotá, Colombia currently based in New York. She has lived in Colombia, Israel, Chile, Paraguay, and the United States. Living in such different places has shaped her perspective of the world and has brought her to understand how color is an inherent element of different cultures. Her art represents who she is, and the legacy of her country and her continent. Her work has a strong emphasis on color, contrast, and texture. These elements are a testament to South American diversity. Her work is spontaneous, visceral, emotional, and bold. Paola has participated in three collective exhibitions (Upper West Side, West Village and Downtown New York), one solo showroom (Financial District), and one gallery (World Trade Center).

Paola’s painting style goes hand-in-hand with the way she sees life. “Creating layers and scraping them allows one to see what is under the surface. Gradually, all colors emerge and become a part of the composition. Some of them might be brighter, others darker, some even dull, but within the whole picture they complement and highlight each other”.

The layers in her work represent her experiences, memories, pain and healing, and the years lived. “Even if everything is behind a thick coat, once I start scraping and searching, what is underneath begins to reveal itself. Acknowledging each one of these layers makes me who I am. From the collective perspective, regardless of our differences, we are all part of the same painting, and only by embracing and respecting each other can we create a beautiful and powerful piece in which we are all equally important.”

Once Paola finishes her pieces, she starts a long process of reflection where she spends hours looking at her art, discovering new things in the shapes, colors, undertones, and textures. She ends up understanding things about herself and her experience that subtly come to life through her art. “Sometimes, the piece’s title comes to me during this process, and it usually ends up being as important as the piece itself.”

“WHEN I AM PAINTING,
MY SOUL, MY MIND, AND MY BODY ARE ONE,
AND THE ONLY EXISTING MOMENT IS THE PRESENT”.