NAVA Artis File: Paula do Prado

DO PRADO:
My name is Paula Gabriela do Prado.
I'm an artist based in Sydney.
My work, although predominantly textiles based,
it also kind of broadens that idea of what textiles is.
So this includes stitch, it includes winding, binding.
It's really about the process of working with your hands,
and really manipulating materials.
So my work is I suppose as you'd expect,
I guess quite characteristically, got that latinx flavour,
so it's very colourful, I suppose it's you know, on the decorative side,
it's supposed to be alluring,
it's supposed to make you want to touch it.
Play with beads and, you know,
get in close and see the details.
I kind of like that about the work that does draw you in
and it's fun for me,
just it is fun for people to look at it.


WHEN DID YOU START CALLING YOURSELF AN ARTIST?

DO PRADO:
When my son was born and I put artist,
as my occupation on the birth certificate,
was kind of like the official thing, you know,
but for me I've always been an artist,
I don't think I've ever thought of myself as different.
You know, stuff come in the way through out the journey of life,
and I've done other things obviously,
but I think from the get go, that's who I was,
and that's just been a process of embodying that more fully.

WHAT HAS BEEN A TURNING POINT IN YOUR CAREER?

DO PRADO:
The turning point in my career,
I would probably describe, I think the first time that...
I supposed I felt someone validated my work,
and said, yes that should be out there.
And I think that kind of came in different stages,
but I suppose the first time that,
I was signed up with a commercial gallery,
straight out of finishing my arts degree.
That was like, wow, you know this is, could really happen.
So you know, that was really nice in a way,
although for me it's about,
you know, there are those turning points,
where you get the external validation,
but I think there's also the personal turning points,
where within your own practise,
you know those moments where you transition or evolve your practise,
or where you really feel like you're making what you want to make.
So I think there's the two,
I don't think it's just about that external side of it,
I think it's really also for me,
the turning point has been I suppose in the last few years,
probably since my son was born.
Being an independent artist,
not being represented doing my own thing,
not being sort of feeling like I needed to make particular types of work.
and just going by feel.
I think when you kind of let go like, "Oh, I'm an artist,
"I'm doing my own thing full time. Yikes."
So that for me has been a big turning point.

WHO HAS HAD A PROFOUND INFLUENCE ON YOUR WORK AND WHY?

DO PRADO:
So, I think a profound moment,
that I've had connecting to an artwork,
was probably seeing an oil pastel that my dad had done.
So my dad's a musician.
He was also...did lots of other things in his life,
but, I remember going back to my grandma's house,
and seeing that there was this beautiful artwork on canvas,
and it was kind of really, you know,
like it was just always there not a big deal made out of it,
but I noticed it was his signature, it was like George.
And was like, "Jorge. I'm like, oh, my gosh that's Dad's."
And just that realisation that there was someone before me,
that had been doing this,
that it wasn't just, that I was one person along that line,
exploring, you know, creativity, exploring our roots,
exploring what it was to express yourself visually.
So for me that was really profound,
because you know my dad is not an artist in that way,
not a visual artist,
and so for me it was amazing to think that,
Grandma would have up on the wall,
that it would something that was valued,
and that it was there for me to see.