Paula Saneaux

About the Artist

Paula Saneaux is a visual artist who explores topics related to the fragility of life, self-objectification, human behavior, mental health, and social influences, emphasizing aesthetics and using symbols to construct a narrative with multiple meanings. Her paintings have been exhibited in venues throughout the United States, including Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, and others, as well as in her native Dominican Republic. Among these venues are the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in Maryland, the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art in Wisconsin, the Dominican Museum of Modern Art, the Dominican National Gallery of Art, and more. Her artwork is held in several public and private collections, including those of important institutions in the Dominican Republic, such as the Central Bank and the Cándido Bidó Museum. Her private collections are held in Brussels, Madrid, Mexico City, Miami, New York, Rome, Santo Domingo, Turin, Washington D.C., and other cities around the world. In recognition of excellence, Saneaux has received numerous awards, including the Maryland State Arts Council Independent Artists Regional Award, the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant of Canada, and the Bluhdorn Scholarship for Parsons School of Design of New York, among others. In January 2016, she was granted the American Green Card for "Artists of Extraordinary Ability," which is given to a small percentage of people who excel in science, the arts, education, business, or sports. She holds a BFA in Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design in New York, an AA in Fine Arts and Illustration from Altos de Chavon School of Design in the Dominican Republic, as well as a BA in Advertising from APEC University, also in the Dominican Republic. Born in the Dominican Republic, Paula Saneaux lives and works in Maryland, United States.

Artist's Statement

My work explores topics related to human behavior, mental health, and social influences. It also provides an ironic discourse on self-objectification and existential themes such as the fragility of life and illness. I create small worlds that reflect these themes by emphasizing aesthetics and using symbols to create a narrative with multiple meanings. My images, which are rendered in grayscale and glazes on acrylic on canvas, are centered on women and girls in everyday settings. To generate multiple meanings for the stories I depict, I research sign processes, signification, and communication. I envelop my subjects in objects that allude to their stories. People I've met, had conversations with, and who have shaped my personal experiences continue to inspire my work. I also study the social and emotional consequences of human thoughts and behaviors. I'm fascinated by the mind's ephemeral nature and the vulnerability that comes with our frailty. I synthesize new variations from both explicit and implicit discourse, with influences ranging from Rembrandt to Matisse to Balthus. I try to leave the viewer orphaned with a mix of conflicting feelings and thoughts in order to spark discussions about the stories I'm portraying.