Alicia Paz

Alicia Paz is an artist based in London, working internationally. Born in Mexico City, Paz graduated from UC Berkeley, École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts of Paris, Goldsmiths College and Royal College of Art London.^[1]

Over several years, Alicia Paz has focused on the tension between artifice/ illusion and the veracity of actual processes involved in painting, exposing the duplicitous nature of representation. Through her work, she explores notions of hybridity, assemblage, and metamorphosis, focusing particularly on the female figure: the self is experienced and presented as multiple, fluid, paradoxical. Paz's paintings are as much portraits as they are landscapes, combining references that range from erudite painting or the history of the painted image,^[2] to citations of advertising images or comics.^[3] Inhabiting fantastical and exotic landscapes, Paz's feminine subjects become fused and combined with organic life. Strange and unsettling visions of tree-women and monster-women also represent the fusion of the subject with painting itself: she often depicts amphibian or plant-like figures “weeping” pigment, their limbs, hair, and various ornamental accoutrements mud-caked and dripping, as if extracted from a colourful, post-cognitive swamp.

In August 2017 Paz unveiled her first public sculpture commission at Kunstmuseum Kloster Unser Lieben Frauen Magdeburg [de] in Magdeburg, titled Insel der Puppen (Island of Dolls), in steel and enamel.^[4]^[5]

Paz is working on a large research and production project exploring the network of women that are playing an important rule in her life, personally and professionally. Her project is supported by the Arts Council England. She developed her research it into three exhibition, each specifically adapted to the location and with new work for each show.^[6]^[7] The first installation was Río y Mar (River and Sea) at the Beecroft Art Gallery in Southend-on-Sea, part of Estuary 2021,^[8] followed by River Makers at the Visual Arts Centre in North Lincolnshire, both in 2021, and finally Juntas (Together) at the Maison de l'Amérique latine [fr]^[9] in Paris in early 2022.^[10]^[11]^[12] In 2024, the curator Bénédicte Delay, presented a solo show of Paz' work under the title Explorations au féminin at the Château de Haroué in Eastern France, in collaboration with the Centre des monuments nationaux CMN.

Selected works

Island of Dolls (Insel der Puppen), 2017, large exterior sculpture in email, steel and concrete, a commission for the Kunstmuseum Kloster Unser Lieben Frauen in Magdeburg
L'effrontée, 2011, mixed media on paper, 74 × 56 cm
Trapèze, 2010, oil, acrylic, collage on canvas 200 × 160 cm (FRAC Languedoc-Roussillon collection)
When the Machine Stops, 2006, oil, acrylic, collage on canvas, 130 × 97 cm (Colección Costantini, MALBA Museum, Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Ghosts, oil, acrylic on canvas, 200 × 160 cm, 1999 (FRAC Île-de-France collection)
Colossus, 1995, acrylic on canvas, 150 × 120 cm (FMAC Paris collection)

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions (selection)

2024: Château de Haroué, Alicia Paz - Explorations au féminin^[13]
2022: Maison de l'Amérique latine [fr], Paris, Juntas
2021: Visual Arts Centre, Scunthorpe, River Makers
2021: Beecroft Art Gallery, Southend-on-Sea, Río y Mar (River and Sea)
2010: LAC Narbonne, in association with FRAC Languedoc-Rousillon for Casanova Forever, Sigean France^[14]
2007: Unit 2 Gallery, London Metropolitan University, London UK
2006: Houldsworth Gallery, London, UK
2005: Ruth Benzacar Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina^[15]
2000: Galerie Yvonamor Palix, Paris, France

Group exhibitions (selection)

2021: Beecroft Art Gallery, Southend UK, Río y Mar (River and Sea),^[16] as part of Estuary 2021
2012: Through the Looking Glass, The Agency Gallery, London, UK
2011: Round and Round and Round (Part 2), exhibition drawn from the FRAC IDF Collection, curated by Xavier Franceschi, Parc culturel de Rentilly, France
2009: Multiverse, curated by Ole Hagen, Danielle Arnaud Gallery, London, UK^[17]
2008: Jerwood Contemporary Painters, Jerwood Space, London, UK^[18]
2007: Celeste Art Prize, selected by Goldsmiths College Curating MA, London, UK
2007: Incheon Biennale, Incheon, South Korea^[19]
2006: John Moores 24, selectors: Peter Blake, Tracey Emin, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool Biennial, UK^[20]
2004: EAST International, selectors: Neo Rauch, Gerd Harry Lybke, Norwich, UK^[21]
2004: Mind the Gap, 10 London Artists, sponsored by British Council, Triangle, Marseille, France
1999: ZAC 99, collaboration directed by "Bureau d'Etudes" and Jota Castro, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, France
1998:Tamayo Museum Biennale, Oaxaca, Mexico

Awards, grants and residencies

2022: Cité internationale des arts, Paris
2022: residency at the Leonora Carrington Museum, Mexico
2002: Triangle France, Artist's Residency, La Friche de la Belle de Mai, Marseilles, France
2002: Cité internationale des arts, Artist's Residency in Paris
2001: Gasworks Artist's Residency, London, UK^[22]
2001: Grant awarded by Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, Mexico
1999: Delfina Studio Trust Residency, London, UK

Collections

Musée d'Art Moderne de Céret, France^[23]
Hanlim Museum, Daejeon, Korea^{[citation needed]}
FMAC City of Paris, France^{[citation needed]}
Le Plateau [fr]^{[citation needed]}
FRAC Languedoc-Roussillon^{[citation needed]}
Colección Costantini, MALBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina^[24]
APT, Mexico City^[25]

References

^ "Show catalogues of graduate student work at the Royal College of Art". Archived from the original on 23 November 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
^ Charlesworth, JJ; Galerie Dukan&Hourdequin (2009). Alicia Paz: Unfinished Subjects. Marseille, France: Monografik Editions. ISBN 978-2-36008-003-8.
^ Lamy, Frank (2004). 3D, Alicia Paz, Andreas Hirsch, Samuel Choisy. Porto, Portugal: Maus Habitos.
^ Magdeburg, Volksstimme. "Insel der Puppen: Künstlerin gestaltet Skulptur". Volksstimme (in German). Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
^ "Neue Werke von Alicia Paz und Nathan Coley im Skulpturenpark des Kunstmuseums". Kunst Museum Magdeburg. 2017. Archived from the original on 17 June 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
^ "Visite de " Juntas " d'Alicia Paz - Maison de l'Amérique latine". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
^ "Project & Exhibition Selection". periferia. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
^ "Río y Mar (River and Sea)". www.estuaryfestival.com. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
^ "Alicia Paz - Agenda". Maison de l'Amérique Latine. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
^ "La mexicana Alicia Paz, exposición en la Maison de l'Amérique latine de París". YouTube. RFI Español. 25 January 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
^ Fer, Anne-Frédérique (27 January 2022). "Interview de Alicia Paz, par Anne-Frédérique Fer, à Paris, le 26 janvier 2022". FranceFineArt (in French). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
^ Ellison, Heidi (9 March 2022). "A Circle of Friends". Paris Update. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
^ CMN. "Alicia Paz, Explorations au féminin". www.chateau-haroue.fr (in French). Retrieved 26 November 2024.
^ Latreille, Emmanuel (2010). Casanova Forever: 33 Expositions en Languedoc Roussillon (in French). Paris: Dilecta. ISBN 978-2-916275-72-7.
^ Hunt, Andrew (2005). Alicia Paz. Buenos Aires: Ruth Benzacar Gallery.
^ "Alicia Paz & Michael Szpakowski". Southend Museums 20. Archived from the original on 21 August 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
^ Hagen, Ole; Poulson, Kit (2009). Multiverse. London: Danielle Arnaud Contemporary Art.
^ Jerwood Charitable Foundation (2008). Jerwood Contemporary Painters. London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ Incheon Culture and Arts Center (2007). Knocking on the Door: International Incheon Women Artists' Biennale. South Korea: Incheon Metropolitan City.
^ "Liverpool Biennial of Contemporary Art". Liverpool Biennial. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
^ Mason, Andrea (September 2004). "East International". a-n Magazine.
^ "Gasworks Residencies". Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
^ "Musée d'art moderne de Céret - Collections - Liste des artistes". www.musee-ceret.com. Archived from the original on 2 December 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
^ "When the Machine Stops". Archived from the original on 25 October 2020.
^ "Alicia Paz". Artist Pension Trust. Retrieved 21 August 2021.

Further links

Alicia Paz, Website of the artist
Uwe Gellner, Annegret Laabs, Jeannette Louie. Alicia Paz - The Garden of Follies. Verlag für Moderne Kunst, Vienna, 2016. ISBN 9783903004917
Deyries-Henry, Dorothée (2008). Permutations, 40 Artistes 01 musée vide. Musée de Valence.
Charlesworth, JJ (May 2007). "Alicia Paz". Time Out London.
Malherbe, Anne (December 2006). "Je revais d'un autre Monde". art press.
Lamy, Frank (August 2002). "Peinture, La Galaxie Française". Gazette des Beaux-Arts. No. 219.
Piguet, Phillipe (May 2000). "Alicia Paz". L'ŒIL.
Lamy, Frank (May 2000). "Alicia Paz". Tribeca Magazine.

[1] "Show catalogues of graduate student work at the Royal College of Art". Archived from the original on 23 November 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2012.

[2] Charlesworth, JJ; Galerie Dukan&Hourdequin (2009). Alicia Paz: Unfinished Subjects. Marseille, France: Monografik Editions. ISBN 978-2-36008-003-8.

[3] Lamy, Frank (2004). 3D, Alicia Paz, Andreas Hirsch, Samuel Choisy. Porto, Portugal: Maus Habitos.

[4] Magdeburg, Volksstimme. "Insel der Puppen: Künstlerin gestaltet Skulptur". Volksstimme (in German). Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.

[5] "Neue Werke von Alicia Paz und Nathan Coley im Skulpturenpark des Kunstmuseums". Kunst Museum Magdeburg. 2017. Archived from the original on 17 June 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2019.

[6] "Visite de " Juntas " d'Alicia Paz - Maison de l'Amérique latine". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 10 February 2022.

[7] "Project & Exhibition Selection". periferia. Retrieved 8 February 2022.

[8] "Río y Mar (River and Sea)". www.estuaryfestival.com. Retrieved 8 February 2022.

[9] "Alicia Paz - Agenda". Maison de l'Amérique Latine. Retrieved 8 February 2022.

[10] "La mexicana Alicia Paz, exposición en la Maison de l'Amérique latine de París". YouTube. RFI Español. 25 January 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2022.

[11] Fer, Anne-Frédérique (27 January 2022). "Interview de Alicia Paz, par Anne-Frédérique Fer, à Paris, le 26 janvier 2022". FranceFineArt (in French). Retrieved 19 March 2022.

[12] Ellison, Heidi (9 March 2022). "A Circle of Friends". Paris Update. Retrieved 23 March 2022.

[13] CMN. "Alicia Paz, Explorations au féminin". www.chateau-haroue.fr (in French). Retrieved 26 November 2024.

[14] Latreille, Emmanuel (2010). Casanova Forever: 33 Expositions en Languedoc Roussillon (in French). Paris: Dilecta. ISBN 978-2-916275-72-7.

[15] Hunt, Andrew (2005). Alicia Paz. Buenos Aires: Ruth Benzacar Gallery.

[16] "Alicia Paz & Michael Szpakowski". Southend Museums 20. Archived from the original on 21 August 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2021.

[17] Hagen, Ole; Poulson, Kit (2009). Multiverse. London: Danielle Arnaud Contemporary Art.

[18] Jerwood Charitable Foundation (2008). Jerwood Contemporary Painters. London.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[19] Incheon Culture and Arts Center (2007). Knocking on the Door: International Incheon Women Artists' Biennale. South Korea: Incheon Metropolitan City.

[20] "Liverpool Biennial of Contemporary Art". Liverpool Biennial. Retrieved 10 February 2022.

[21] Mason, Andrea (September 2004). "East International". a-n Magazine.

[22] "Gasworks Residencies". Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2012.

[23] "Musée d'art moderne de Céret - Collections - Liste des artistes". www.musee-ceret.com. Archived from the original on 2 December 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2021.

[24] "When the Machine Stops". Archived from the original on 25 October 2020.

[25] "Alicia Paz". Artist Pension Trust. Retrieved 21 August 2021.

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