Cecilia Paredes is a Peruvian photographer noted for her images of camouflaged bodies against patterned surfaces. Born in 1950 in Lima, Peru, she studied art at the Catholic University of Lima and at the Cambridge Arts and Crafts School in England. She is best known for her ongoing photographic series in which she explores the visual juxtaposition of her painted body with the patterns and surface below it: Paredes composes these photographs by selecting a patterned ground, such as floral wallpaper, and intricately paints her skin to match. The unavoidable contours of her body thus hide and reveal her form, depending on the camera angle. Paredes now lives and works in San Jose, Costa Rica and Philadelphia, PA.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2020
Latitude Festival solo show Museum of Huelva, Spain.
Exhibition at Castle D’Ursel, Antwerp, Belgium (suspended due to CoVid-19 pandemic)
2019
University of Navarra Museum MUN, Pamplona, Spain.
2018
MOLAA Museum of Latin American Art LA California, US.
2017
Hyderabad Photo Festival solo show Hyderabad, India.
Art Yard Contemporary Art Center, New Jersey, US.
US Space Odeon curated by Miguel Lopez, Bogota, Colombia.
AEtogether Blanc Monteaux, Paris, France.
Director’s choice Pinta art fair solo installation, Miami, Florida, US.
2016
Central Bank Museum, San Jose, Costa Rica.
Tabacalera Cultural Art Center, Madrid, Spain.
2014
Space Museum Samara, Russia. Pingyao Photo Festival solo show Shanxi, China.
Georgetown University, DC US.
International Guest Artist Solo show Bogota Photo Biennial, Bogota, Colombia.
2013
Vladimir Palace, Hermitage Museum, San Petersburg, Russia. Osma Museum Lima, Peru. Photo Biennial international guest artist solo show, Bogota, Colombia.
2012
KIAF Art Festival Guest Artist representing USA at Kathmandu, Nepal.
2011
National Museum Beijing, Guanlan project, China.
2010
Moscow Museum of Modern Art MMOMA, Moscow, Russia. North American Cultural Center, Lima, Peru. World Bank Washington D.C. US. Jennifer Johnson Foundation, Jacksonville, US. Cultural Center Inca Garcilaso Lima, Peru.
Collective Exhibitions
2019
Casa de America, Contemporary Photography of the Americas, Madrid, Spain. Textile Museum, Weavers of the Clouds exhibit, London, England.
2018
El Museo del Barrio, Revival, New York, New York, US.
Ideobox Art Space Aluna Foundation, The Warp of Memory exhibit, Miami, Florida, US.
2017
Concrete Space The Object and the Image, Miami, Florida, US.
2016
Frost Museum, Mark Pierce Morph exhibit Miami, Florida.
2015
London Photo, 2015, London, England.
Havana Biennial 2015, Romerillo, Havanna, Cuba.
Chongquing Museum of Contemporary Art : Real/Unreal : Changjiang International Photography and video Biennale, Chongquing, China.
2014
Contemporary Museum of Art and Design, San Jose, Costa Rica.
2013
Biennale di Arezzo, Italy.
Bienal del Sur, Panama, Panama.
2011
III Engraving Biennial, Guanlan, China.
2010
Guanlan residency, Guanlan, China.
Her work is part of the collection of the Museum of San Antonio, Texas; Museo del Barrio, New York; Costa Rica Art Museum; MoMA Moscow; the Museum of Contemporary Art in Panama; Museum of Contemporary Art Costa Rica; the University of San Antonio, Texas; World Bank; Deutsche Bank; University of Salamanca, Spain; IILA Rome, Italy; MOLAA Los Angeles; University of Navarra, Spain; among others.