Today, we’d like to introduce you to Maria Paula Suarez. Maria Paula was introduced to us by the brilliant and talented Valerie Brugal.
Maria Paula, can you walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have always considered myself a naturally curious woman. Growing up, my family consistently supported and nurtured the development of my artistic expression, my mom used to paint and my dad likes to sing, so creativity sat effortlessly in my core values, regardless of the fact that none of them ( nor anyone in my family) had a profession within the creative industries.
During my time in high school, my school was part of the International Baccalaureate program, that had you choose between art, history and economics as your main field of study. I have always been keen to entrepeneurship and its endeavors, yet I chose the Arts option as it became evident to me that my desired contribution to societal development layed in the realm of culture ( and full disclosure it also felt like the last stretch before colleague where I originally intended to study business, so I just said – why not?-).
In those two years I developed a sense of belonging while sharing my ideas, it was a different way to communicate my thoughts and feelings, and something just clicked, I could no longer see myself doing something different than art. Hence, I recognized the importance of gaining practical experience in my field of interest, particularly while living in a third-world country where many places could benefit from an extra pair of creative hands and a willing helper. So I embarked on my first official volunteer program in Cuzco, Peru. I taught English and facilitated the development of artistic expression at a local kindergarten. This experience not only exposed me to an entirely new culture, but it also inspired me to seek out further opportunities to make a difference while simultaneously enriching my own intellectual growth.
The profound impact of art on education has greatly influenced my decision to pursue a career in visual arts. I am certain art has the power to educate people, whether through an academic lens or by providing fresh perspectives on everyday topics. Through art, I have discovered an entirely new outlook on life, one that emphasizes our ability to share unique experiences and invite introspection regarding our individual positions in relation to them.
I describe myself as an eternal romantic and i’ve been lucky enough to experience the right and responsability to feel it all through my art, along with the reward of enduring hard feelings which from my eyes, becomes potential.
Please talk to us about your creative work and career. What should we know?
The brief I use to describe always starts like this: “I am a Colombian artist based in New York City, where I got my Master’s degree in Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art and graduated with distinctions. I have a bachelor’s degree in visual arts, with an emphasis in the plastic area, and I am certified as an illustrator by the School of Visual Arts in New York. Parallel to my art studies, I completed a pedagogy course at Harvard Online University as a leader of learning”, all of which is true. Still, I would love to focus on the answer to this question from a different angle this time. I’d like to share a little bit more about how, throughout those years and to date, I have explored several topics that revolve around self-care and introspective expressions through nature and language (which, yes, complemented with a cohesive education in the industry has supported me and contributed to a career I must say Im very proud of to be building). Why? Because without those visceral thoughts and radical emotions, the process would not be what it is, and im at a stage of my career where I want to let it all out so whoever reads me understands a bit more about the reason behind all of this life project. I began embroidering eight years ago. When a cist was found in my left breast, I asked the doctor to share the images of the snapshots that appeared under the microscope when he was analyzing the sample. Before that, I was trying to understand Colombia as a country, its territory, but by being ( and feeling ) so alien to the realities of most Colombians, I decided to look inwards and migrate from the macro to the micro, same as the doctor, to understand the complexity of what was within, to be able to navigate the whole. – Because something beautiful that embroidery has given me is that the parts have nothing and everything to do with the whole- For six years, I explored resilience as a concept, which I divided into three stages, Pain as the breaking point, healing as the process, and self-love as the result. Then after working for more than two years in re-inhabiting myself and understanding that layering a judgment on top of a feeling does not change the feeling, I came out of my cocoon. Strangely enough, writing contributed to making me feel that way. It was a physical act: I had to overcome obstacles to bring something out of myself. And what I am showing now is a result of the journey that has led me here. My work reflects on love, its various forms, and the use of language as a tool to understand it. I have experienced enough pain to trust in it, and I understand resilience as a concept that is not a reward for those who love more or better. To be alive is to be in a perpetual state of evolution, and this is an unprecedented experiment that I seek to address through my practice of embroidery on paper, aiming to generate models capable of providing new forms of self-awareness and reflection. What I am showing now is the result of a conscious exercise to understand the different relationships between human beings. We all can share a unique experience, and if emotions stimulate behavior, through my work, I seek to celebrate the right and responsibility to feel everything. Life is alchemy. I have had the fortune to coincide with visions aligned with mine, and my work can be found in different platforms and galleries that support and believe in the message im sharing. A cohesive body of my work can be found at www.mariapaulasuarez.com. And under the “Inquire” section of my website, you will learn more about the people with whom I’ve connected to enable my project as an artist and live from it, their unique take on the art world, and detailed information about my art pieces.
So, as we mentioned to our audience earlier, you were introduced to us by Valerie Brugal and we really admire them and what they’ve built. For folks who might not be as familiar, can you tell them a bit about your experience with Valerie.
As I was just saying the art industry has been extremely generous with me in regard to opportunities. One of them is my gallerist, advisor, and Im happy to say friend, Valerie Cabrera. I became familiar with Catalysta more than a couple of years ago, Valerie and I were both members of an international art club, which I joined during the pandemic, and we connected when the platform was at an early stage and V was scouting for talent, portfolios, and bridges to expand her idea.
Since the first call, I believe we both understood our visions were aligned, I felt very connected to her strength and power as a businesswoman and I believe the concept of Catalysta was very much a reflection of her character, ambition, and willingness to support emerging art from Latin American artists, all of which resonated with me, not only at a personal level but as an aspiring artist. Catalysta, enable artists to live from what they love, they provide a viable solution to show new talent in a healthy market which they grow day to day with their efforts to get as much exposure in a commensurably setting as possible.
I joined the platform since the project was still in the works, and I am a proud artist who has experienced the gains of their learning curve. Through community, healthy networking, and enriching partnerships, my art has found a home within Catalysta. Valerie has helped me expand my market abroad and position my name as an artist in different countries of Latin America. Moreover, beyond the love and sentiment that I hold for Catalysta, strictly talking business ( which is as important as alignment, because it is still a competitive industry ) I have learned a lot about collectors, art lovers, and overall about the industry through Valerie’s project. The advisory component that has come with being part of the platform has been key for my professional development. Within the first trimester, after I joined the platform, I sold two pieces, and from there it has been a learning process, all of which has led to Catalysta selling my highest-priced art piece in the primary market so far, a piece had been created not far from the date when it was sold.
Website: www.mariapaulasuarez.com
Instagram: @mariapsuarezart
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-paula-suarez-diaz-a45241137/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariapsuarezart/
