My name is Paola Bermúdez and I am from Bogotá, Colombia. I have lived in Colombia, Israel, Chile, Paraguay, and the United States. Living in such different places has shaped my perspective of the world and led me to understand how color is an inherent element of different cultures. My art represents who I am, and the legacy of my country and my continent that I carry in my soul. My work has a strong emphasis on colors, contrasts, and unique textures. These are a testament to South American diversity, reflecting the joy and intensity of our people, food, stories, myths, and our land and geography. My work is spontaneous, visceral, emotional, and bold.

Over the years, I have developed my own style of painting that goes hand in hand with my way of seeing life. Creating layers and scraping them allows you to see what is beneath the surface. Gradually, all the colors emerge and become part of the composition. Some of them may be brighter, some darker, some even dull, but within the whole picture they complement and highlight each other.

This is how I see life from an individual and collective perspective. The layers in my work represent my experiences, memories, pain and healing, and the years lived. Even if everything is behind a thick layer, once I start scraping and searching, what lies beneath begins to reveal itself. Recognizing each of these layers makes me who I am. From the collective perspective, regardless of our differences, we are all part of a whole and only by embracing and respecting each other can we create a beautiful and powerful piece in which we are all equally important.

Once I finish my pieces, there is a long process of reflection. I spend hours looking at my art, discovering new things in the shapes, colors, nuances, and textures. I end up understanding something about myself and my experience, which very subtly comes to life through my art. Sometimes the title of the piece comes to me during this process, and it usually ends up being as important as the piece itself.