Cecilia Paredes

Cecilia Paredes explores the theme of identity through ethereal “photo performances,” in which she camouflages her body against beautifully patterned backdrops and disappears amongst the ornamentation. By presenting herself as part of the landscape, Paredes builds her identity concerning the part of the world where she lives and raises the question of how our environment influences who we are. Born in Lima, Peru, a country whose early civilizations revered nature, Paredes often disguises herself against flora. The sweeping lines of foliage and the rich hues that paint the backdrop and the artist’s body put her in an intimate conversation with nature. Animals, various objects, and fabric also play a part in the complex layers of Cecilia’s oeuvre. Each element in her body of work reminds the viewer of the fact that humans are but one element in nature, of which the body is a pristine expression. “I wrap, cover, or paint my body with the same material pattern and represent myself as part of that landscape. Through this act, I am working on the theme of building my own identification with the environment where I live or where I feel I can call home.” – Cecilia Paredes.

Cecilia Paredes studied Fine Arts at the Catholic University of Lima and Cambridge Arts in the UK. Paredes lived and worked in Costa Rica from 1998 to 2004 and represented the country at the 51st Venice Biennial in 2005. She now splits her time between Lima, Peru, and Philadelphia, USA.

In 2022, Cecilia Paredes received the Toro Iberoamerican Honor Prize in Zamora, Spain, and the Castilla Excellency Award. In 2014, she was awarded the International Award for Artistic Excellence at the Pingyao International Festival of Photography in China. Paredes has participated in numerous residencies, such as the Rockefeller Foundation Residency in Bellagio, Italy. In 2005, Paredes was also part of the Venice Biennial 51st International Art Exhibition, IILA (Italo-Latin American Institute Latin America) Pavilion, Venice, Italy. She has exhibited widely in North, South, and Central America, Asia, Australia, and Europe with solo exhibitions at major institutions, including the Museum of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach, CA; Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Russia, and the Costa Rica Museum of Art, among others. Her work has been featured and reviewed in Hyperallergic, The New York Times, Style Magazine, W Magazine, Huffington Post, and Elle Decor. Paredes' work is in numerous collections, including the Museo del Barrio, New York, NY; the San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio, TX; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Panama; the McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, TX; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX, and the Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH.

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