Paper artist
Since childhood, Ana Paúl has been enchanted by paper. Whilst growing up, paper became her palette for changing moods and collage became her language.
The simplicity and possibility of paper as a medium has remained her life long fascination.The transformative quality of this humble yet noble material and the influence of Orientalism with its delicacy, mystery and use of colour underpins all her work.
Ana Paúl’s work plays with contrast – the linear and the curvaceous; nature and artifice; East and West. She explores the confluence of these opposites to create a harmonious balance.
Forests dominate her work and paper is used in a sculptural way to create an ethereal composition. The expression of colour plays a major role in bringing the forests to life.
The primeval connexion that trees have with the Earth and Universe is a constant theme in Ana’s works, continuously and consistently reinterpreted in different forms.
«I am captivated by forests and trees – their majestic beauty and primeval mystery. In a constantly changing and face-paced world which brings new challenges every day, trees provide a deep-rooted and enduring sense of protection and support.
The tree trunk and its roots represent stability, the branches suggest movement and the leaves remind us of ephemeral growth and seasonal change, illustrating both strength and fragility, permanence and renewal.
The natural formation of forests provides an almost architectural structure in which the trees provide order and direction whilst glades and clearings open up space for pause and reflection. The green canopy of tree cover creates a natural roof that offers shelter and safety. These ancient formations provide a space for escape and a place to regain balance and provide the perfect hideaway in our frenetic lives.
Entering the forest is a magical experience that stimulates the deep connection we, as humans, have with our planet and ourselves».
Works
Forests dominate her work and paper is used in a sculptural way to create an ethereal composition. The expression of colour plays a major role in bringing the forests to life.
In the Apapyrooos series, nature’s simplicity becomes her inspiration and the subtlety of color and detail her focus. Each petal is carefully considered and paint is used on different paper types to give life to a variety of textures and tones.
In the Wood series the artist uses her unique visual language to bring nature in to the living space by mimicking the density and textural structure of tree trunks and branches.
The Reforestation Series was created during the Covid-19 quarantine in Spain (March-May 2020). Working directly on the painful stories that appeared in the newspapers during those days, the artist set out to «reforest» them. Her intervention seeks to transform the traces of pain that permeate the headlines by inserting small poetic flashes. Reforestation conveys a message of hope, of confidence in the future, based on the serenity and permanence that the evocation of the forests produces. This reflection is also a tribute to all the victims of the pandemic and an invocation of the perpetuity of memory.
The primeval connexion that trees have with the Earth and Universe is a constant theme in Ana’s works, continuously and consistently reinterpreted in different forms.
Biography
Ana Paúl was born in Barcelona and grew up in this vibrant Mediterranean city.
As a child and growing up she was always enchanted by paper and its’ versatility and from an early age she began creating colourful collages and compositions using different materials and combining personal and found images.
After completing her studies, she first moved to London before moving onto Paris where she lived for 20 years. Her career in the fashion industry in Paris exposed her to a wealth of creativity and artistic freedom through the contact she had with top designers and brands. Throughout this time she continued to develop her collages, inspired by all the talent that surrounded her.
She currently lives and works between Madrid and Barcelona.
1986 – 2013 EarlyCollages
2009 West Dean College, UK — Course in Paper Engineering
2015 – 2017 Kaftan collage series
2017 – 2019 Apapyrooos Series
2018 Commission by Patricia Urquiola to create 18 works for Mandarin Hotel, Barcelona
2018 Wood series, Arboretum series,
2019 Baró House Gallery, Madrid
2020 Forestation series, Japanese Forest series,
2020 Exhibition at Pigment Gallery, Barcelona
2021 ESTAMPA Fair, Madrid, Galería Marita Segovia
2021 Published with Poetry/Art Editions “La Cama Sol”. Other artists in 2021 include Anselm Kieffer, Jaume Plensa, Christian Bobin …
2021 Exhibition at Los Angeles Art Show with Pigment Gallery
2021 Special Commission for Hermes (Christmas Tree). Auctioned by Christie’s and bought by collector JC.Escotet.
2022 Exhibition at Galería Marita Segovia (Madrid)
2023 Exhition at Arthus Gallery (Brussels)
2023 Exhition at Armory Fair – Salon Art & Design, Garrido Gallery
2023 Exhition at Pal Project (Paris)
Selected Collections
Works in Josep Maria Civit’s (Barcelona), Juan Carlos Escribano (Madrid), Terry Zucker (NY) Contemporary Art Collection and other renowned Private collections in Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, New York and Sri Lanka.