Cecilia Paredes, 1950 | Body painter

A Peruvian-born multimedia artist Cecilia Paredes was born in Lima, Peru and currently lives and works between Philadelphia, PA US and Lima, Peru.

Her primary themes include the power of nature, femininity, and migration, which have been subjects of many of her shows.

She frequently utilizes natural elements, often recycled waste materials and primarily organic ones, in her installations.

One of her best-known works is "Paisajes" in which she camouflages herself and uses her own figure as a canvas for body painting.

Paredes herself is often the central subject not only of her performances but also of her photographs and art, and yet, frequently she is not recognized and appears hidden among the natural materials that she uses, or appears blended and transformed into folds of fabric.

In her photographs Paredes camouflages herself as animals or mythological beings, often surrounded by backgrounds of ornamental flowers.

She is primarily known for her permanent photo series "Paisajes" in which she explores the juxtaposition of her body with patterns and the surfaces beneath it.

These photographs are composed by way of the selection of a structured background, such as a paper floral tapestry, and her intricate painting of her body so that it matches.

The inevitable outlines of her form for the most part encircle her and manifest themselves, depending upon the angle of the camera.

In some cases, only a shock of dark hair reveals that a person is in the photograph.

Reviews of her shows have stated that Paredes intentionally puts the viewer off-balance by "erasing the line between body and background, throwing what’s real into question in both the artist and her backdrop, and Paredes rips off the stable ground beneath her viewers’ feet".

Peruviana di nascita ma americana di adozione, la camaleontica artista Cecilia Paredes trascorre lunghissime ore a dipingere il proprio corpo in modo da confondersi con gli sfondi appositamente creati.

Così facendo, la Paredes cerca di costruire la propria identificazione con il mondo circostante per sentirsi tutt'uno non solo con ciò che di visibile la circonda, ma anche con l'invisibile.

Alle origini di questa ricerca c'è la difficoltà dell'artista nel trovare di nuovo il senso di appartenenza dopo un trasferimento che l'ha portata lontano dalle proprie origini, con la conseguente necessità di ritrovare il proprio posto nel mondo.

In tal senso, l'illusione di “sparire” nel paesaggio che la circonda le permette di identificarsi con esso, diventandone parte integrante.

La squadra di pittori che la affianca nella realizzazione delle sue opere solitamente impiega un'intera giornata di lavoro per dipingere sul suo corpo la stessa trama dello sfondo, prestando un'estrema attenzione ai particolari: basta un sorriso per provocare delle crepe sulla colorazione applicata e mandare in fumo l'intero lavoro.