Alicia Paz

Alicia Paz is a multicultural artist who works internationally. Born in Mexico City and based in London, she has also spent substantial periods of her life in France and in the US. Paz graduated from UC Berkeley, École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts of Paris, Goldsmiths College and Royal College of Art,^[1] London.

Over several years, Alicia Paz has focused on the tension between artifice/ illusion and the veracity of actual processes involved in painting, exposing the duplicitous nature of representation. Through her work, she explores notions of hybridity, assemblage, and metamorphosis, focusing particularly on the female figure: the self is experienced and presented as multiple, fluid, paradoxical. Paz's paintings are as much portraits as they are landscapes, combining references that range from erudite painting or the history of the painted image,^[2] to citations of advertising images or comics.^[3]

Selected works

• L'effrontée, 2011, mixed media on paper, 74 × 56 cm
• Trapèze, 2010, oil, acrylic, collage on canvas 200 × 160 cm (FRAC Languedoc-Roussillon collection)
• When the Machine Stops, 2006, oil, acrylic, collage on canvas, 130 × 97 cm (Colección Costantini, MALBA Museum, Buenos Aires, Argentina)
• Ghosts, oil, acrylic on canvas, 200 × 160 cm, 1999 (FRAC Île-de-France collection)
• Colossus, 1995, acrylic on canvas, 150 × 120 cm (FMAC Paris collection)

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions (selection)

2010:

• LAC Narbonne, in association with FRAC Languedoc-Rousillon for Casanova Forever, Sigean, France^[4]

2007:

• Unit 2 Gallery, London Metropolitan University, London

2006:

• Houldsworth Gallery, London, UK

2005:

• Ruth Benzacar Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina^[5]

2000:

• Galerie Yvonamor Palix, Paris, France

Group exhibitions (selection)

2012:

• Through the Looking Glass, The Agency Gallery, London, UK

2011:

• Round and Round and Round (Part 2), exhibition drawn from the FRAC IDF Collection, curated by Xavier Franceschi, Parc culturel de Rentilly, France

2009:

• Multiverse, curated by Ole Hagen, Danielle Arnaud Gallery, London, UK^[6]

2008:

• Jerwood Contemporary Painters, Jerwood Space, London, UK^[7]

2007:

• Celeste Art Prize, selected by Goldsmiths College Curating MA, London, UK
• Incheon Biennale, Incheon, South Korea^[8]

2006:

• John Moores 24, selectors: Peter Blake, Tracey Emin, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool Biennial, UK

2004:

• EAST International, selectors: Neo Rauch, Gerd Harry Lybke, Norwich, UK^[9]
• Mind the Gap, 10 London Artists, sponsored by British Council, Triangle, Marseille, France

1999:

• ZAC 99, collaboration directed by "Bureau d'Etudes" and Jota Castro, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, France

1998:

• Tamayo Museum Biennale, Oaxaca, Mexico

Awards, grants and residencies

2002 :

• Triangle France, Artist's Residency, La Friche de la Belle de Mai, Marseilles, France
• Cité Internationale des Arts, Artist's Residency, Paris, France

2001:

• Gasworks Artist's Residency, London, UK^[10]
• Grant awarded by Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, Mexico

1999:

• Delfina Studio Trust Residency, London, UK

Collections

• Musée d'Art Moderne de Céret, France
• Hanlim Museum, Daejeon, Korea
• Vitry-sur-Seine, France
• Valognes, France
• FMAC City of Paris, France
• FRAC Ile-de-France
• FRAC Languedoc-Roussillon
• Colección Costantini, MALBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Lafuma, France
• Schlumberger, France
• APT, Mexico City

References

1. Show catalogues of graduate student work at the Royal College of Art.
2. Charlesworth, JJ; Galerie Dukan&Hourdequin (2009). Alicia Paz: Unfinished Subjects. Marseille, France: Monografik Editions. ISBN 978-2-36008-003-8.
3. Lamy, Frank (2004). 3D, Alicia Paz, Andreas Hirsch, Samuel Choisy. Porto, Portugal: Maus Habitos.
4. Latreille, Emmanuel (2010). Casanova Forever: 33 Expositions en Languedoc Roussillon (in French). Paris: Dilecta. ISBN 978-2-916275-72-7.
5. Hunt, Andrew (2005). Alicia Paz. Buenos Aires: Ruth Benzacar Gallery.
6. Hagen, Ole; Poulson, Kit (2009). Multiverse. London: Danielle Arnaud Contemporary Art.
7. Jerwood Charitable Foundation (2008). Jerwood Contemporary Painters. London.
8. Incheon Culture and Arts Center (2007). Knocking on the Door: International Incheon Women Artists’ Biennale. South Korea: Incheon Metropolitan City.
9. Mason, Andrea (September 2004). "East International". a-n Magazine.
10. Gasworks Residencies.

Further reading

• Deyries-Henry, Dorothée (2008). Permutations, 40 Artistes 01 musée vide. Musée de Valence.
• Charlesworth, JJ (May 2007). "Alicia Paz". Time Out London.
• Malherbe, Anne (December 2006). "Je revais d'un autre Monde". art press.
• Lamy, Frank (August 2002). "Peinture, La Galaxie Française". Gazette des Beaux-Arts (219).
• Piguet, Phillipe (May 2000). "Alicia Paz". L'ŒIL.
• Lamy, Frank (May 2000). "Alicia Paz". Tribeca Magazine.