About Paola
My name is Paola Chávez Dueñas. I am a self-taught artist in oil, acrylic and watercolor techniques, and I want to share my art with you. Growing up in a city as full of art, culture and unique landscapes as Puno, Peru, ignited my curiosity in the world of art, but as a young woman, making a living off my art was not an option, so I decided to study architecture, for I did not want to put aside my desire to create. During the pandemic I started to paint again, publishing and selling my pieces, encouraged by friends, and I had a glimpse of optimism about living off my art. And although the road is long, there is nothing that makes me happier than a finished piece.
I come from a beautiful city called Arequipa, in Peru. I am an architect and interior designer, and I am currently an independent, self-taught creative, creating paintings.
I currently live in New Jersey, USA.
Painting was always a hobby, but due to the pandemic I was encouraged to paint more, and, encouraged by friends, I decided to sell my paintings.
With the move to this new country I started again from scratch, and although at the beginning it was hard for me, painting helped me a lot to channel the best memories I have of my country, and I would very much like to share this point of view with the world.
Living in a country so rich in culture and folklore, I am inspired to step a little outside the real image, recreating, in an exaggerated and magical way, the customs, dances, colors and legends that I long for.
I would love to show the whole world a little piece of my art.
In her words
Mi arte comenzó a raíz de la nostalgia. En tiempos de pandemia comenzó el aislamiento y sentía mucha nostalgia por la libertad que sentía en Puno, la ciudad que me vio crecer. Me distraía creando dibujos de recuerdos y anécdotas que marcaron mi niñez, y, como jugando, encontré en el arte un gusto para expresar mis emociones y anécdotas en piezas de arte. El hecho de haber sido criada en una ciudad con tanta riqueza cultural, los colores de los trajes, las danzas, las creencias, la energía mística y sus relatos; ahora que vivo en el extranjero y tengo dos hijos, me encanta la idea de crear algo que a ellos les llame la atención, sobre todo porque es un puente para explicar un poco de la cultura peruana, sus costumbres y leyendas. También la maternidad me enseña mucho de la fuerza, la perseverancia y la resiliencia que un inmigrante puede tener.
English translationMy art began with nostalgia. During the pandemic the isolation started and I missed the freedom I felt in Puno, the city where I grew up, so I kept myself busy drawing memories and moments from my childhood, and almost as a game I found in art a way to turn my emotions and stories into pieces. Growing up in a city so rich in culture, the colors of the costumes, the dances, the beliefs, the mystic energy and its stories, and now living abroad with two children, I love creating something that catches their attention, above all because it's a bridge to explain a little of Peruvian culture, its customs and its legends. Motherhood also teaches me a lot about the strength, perseverance and resilience an immigrant can have.