Les Arts is thrilled to present the work of a brilliant, young artist, Paola Andrea Ochoa, on the West Coast. Her work has already begun to build a following and has attracted avid collectors. Her drawings are exquisitely made-- both delicate and powerful; they combine a virtuoso techinque and deeply emotional engagement with the viewer.

Paola was born in Medellin, Colombia in 1979 and she now lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Her work reflects the intense personal experience of growing up during a violent, frightening time in Colombia, and her love of nature that has sustained her. She says, “My lines and mark-making serve as a way for me to meditate on who I want to become and what I believe in. Drawing is a way for me to sharpen my endurance and test my commitment to my own thoughts. In the beginning, my marks and spills are murky, but over time, they become sharp and focused. This process mirrors the self-control I must remember to live by in order to free myself from the anchor of unchecked habit.”

She originally studied architecture but soon began to work as an artist. She later pursued a BFA with a concentration in Eastern European experimental animation. Paola was awarded the NEW PICK residency at the Museum of Contemporary Art/Denver and has since shown her drawings, video installations and photography in Los Angeles, New York and Miami. Paola works on personal and collaborative projects, interweaving the fields of visual art, botany, motion picture, photography, and computing.

She has participated in several group shows as well as solo exhibits. For a complete listing of her shows, awards and commissions, go to www.paolaochoa.com