Paola Bazz

Paper artist

A path of all-round creativity

Paola likes to create and build with her hands
After exploring different materials and techniques she chose to work with recycled paper
Digital technologies play a strategic role in her artworks

Paola Bazz always loved to create, and especially loved to paint and draw. She took a degree in architecture and worked for different museums, theatres and temporary exhibitions, building sets. In this work she also experimented with the reuse of recycled newspapers. Paola fell in love with this sustainable material, explored different techniques and eventually decided to become a paper artist full-time. Paola starts from a digital concept and translates this into a physical volume. Her creations are often related to three main themes: people’s faces, the movement of the human body, or the relationship between public and private in everyone's life. Between 2012 and 2021 Paola lived in in the UK, and she now lives in Padova where she continues to explore and to create.

Interview

When did you decide to give up your profession as an architect?: In 2010, when I first moved to Brussels and then to Manchester (UK). I decided to give up my work as an architect to devote myself exclusively to the production of works on paper. In truth, even when I was working, I never stopped painting and creating.
Why is paper so special for you?: Since I was child, I have always loved working with my hands. My grandmother and my mother taught me embroidery, knitting and sewing. From my father I learnt to work with wood, and my grandfather taught me to love drawing. Paper helped me to create my own world, an opportunity I like to share with children and adults attending my workshops today.
What is the role of technology in your creative process?: Technology plays a fundamental role. It allows me to mix different kinds of media, exploring all their possible combinations.
What does 'artfully made' mean to you?: When my grandmother revised my embroideries, she first examined them on the reverse side and gave her approval only if she was satisfied. I use the same method now: every side and every detail must be perfect in my eyes. Each piece requires its own time to be made.

Paola Bazz is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2008 and she started teaching in 2020