Cecilia Paredes, “Tapisserie” (2023), photo performance inkjet print, 52 x 32 inches
Cecilia Paredes refers to her works as “photo performances,” an apt term for the way in which she does not just create photographs but rather becomes them. The Peruvian-born, Philadelphia-based artist paints her skin and clothing to camouflage her body against intricate fabrics printed with floral and foliage patterns. In the most striking compositions, like “Tapisserie” (2023), Paredes plays with alternately concealing and revealing elements of the picture such that the contours of her figure appear three dimensional and sculptural. The images are as illusive and attractive as the eyes of a butterfly. —Valentina Di Liscia for Hyperallergic
