A place in the world
The miniature characters of Paloma Ilustradora tell a story. She moves from illustration to ceramics, creating the stories of these characters. Elves, animals, magical characters, congregate among tender shapes, daydreams and dreamlike reminiscences. As a whole, these little beings form a parallel world, an imaginary space that has allowed its author to find a place in the world through art.
Why do you make art?
I have always been fascinated by different forms of artistic expression. I draw, paint, make ceramics, I also like to act, write, sing. I studied theatre and I also studied art. I see it as a way to play and invent and I also see it as a form of validation.
How would you describe your job?
I would describe my work as a cross between illustration and ceramics; rather, I describe it as a cross between narratives. I like to connect with the beings I imagine. I am always inventing a story for them, I really like writing stories for them.
What have been your greatest pursuits as a creator so far?
I believe that understanding myself, knowing what I want to do and how I should do it so that it turns out exactly as I see it in my head, has led me down very beautiful paths of learning, and that has also made me love teaching today. I take myself very seriously and I hope to inspire others in this search. My processes are increasingly linked to enjoying everything I do, for example in my work if something is a "must" to do rather than a "want" to do, today I can give myself the pleasure of not doing it. I also indulge myself a lot creatively, I watch a lot of movies, I read a lot, I do a lot of research on things that interest me, I find a lot of inspiration in scientific journals or in new scientific discoveries, nature themes, that inspires me a lot, they are part of my creative processes. I have also learned to give myself days of rest and disconnection, especially to be with those I love and to be able to enjoy the time I spend with them. That is vital to be able to continue being enthusiastic about art.
Do you have any special affection for any of your works?
What are your most relevant or treasured works or projects to date?
Generally, the most relevant projects I have participated in have been collective ones. One of the nice things about the art professions today is that they allow you to work in a community and in constant collaboration with other artists. Social networks have contributed a lot to that, I don't know if in the 90s when I was a child being an artist would have been the same. If I have to choose, the truth is that I became especially fond of it when I won a Santiago en 100 palabras, many years ago, I remember that it marked a before and after with respect to the way I saw myself, for the first time I felt that I could achieve great things. I came from a somewhat self-destructive childhood and adolescence, with low self-esteem and when I received that award it was a boost of confidence. That's when I decided to focus all my energies on dedicating myself to being an artist and making a living from art. Over time everything started to come together.
What is your view on the state of the art?
I feel that today there are many opportunities to show oneself. For those who want to dedicate themselves to art, I think that this is the perfect time to do so. There is also a lot of competition, because there are so many people making art. I also think that the biggest competition in the end always ends up being oneself. That is why I think it is so important to know oneself and to resolve oneself mentally and spiritually. We are seeing a unique era of unprecedented global communication and that can be used to your advantage, to form your own support network, that was perhaps impossible before, before you needed many more contacts, today you download an application, record yourself and you can enter the world and compete from a much more democratic place.
What art does the world we live in need?
We need honest art, not something that is merely a copy or a recycling where techniques dominate to merely offer an artistic experience. That is to say, that is equally important, beyond whether someone masters a technique or not, I think it is important to transcend all that and that people can feel moved, stirred and reflective about our world, about everything that happens, everything that surrounds us. Art has a bit of that mission. With this I mean that if you are going to make a work about war, do it because you feel it is true and not out of opportunism. If a war is truly affecting me, the art that comes out of me to help denounce that will be a contribution only if it is real, not to follow a trend or a hashtag. I think it is important that it is from a genuine place, that is the art that all disciplines need, an art that does not make us doubt even more, because we are surrounded by so many lies.
How do you see Chilean art?
I have always been a fan of all Chilean artists, and today I am so happy to be able to see so many female role models. I grew up with almost no role models of my own gender because I didn't know anyone, I had role models in other worlds, but in the visual arts or painting I didn't know anyone's name, any woman. It wasn't until I was very old, as an adult, that I started to meet women who illustrated, or made sculptures, or were in the world of letters. It was very hard and sad but also very motivating. Today I am very focused on being able to recognize these female artists and learn more about them. I think a lot about the opportunities I have versus the reality that these women lived. That makes me value my own path and my own search even more.
