Paulina Ree was born in Quito, Ecuador, in 1981. She moved to New Jersey, USA, at the age of fifteen and then went on to graduate with a degree in Economics from Boston College in 2006. Paulina then moved to London, United Kingdom, to work as a paralegal and studied to earn a Law degree from the College of Law in 2012.
In 2011, she moved to Oslo, Norway, where she currently resides with her husband and three daughters. Paulina participated in an artist Critique Group with the Artist Mother Podcast program in 2020, in which she is still involved. Additionally, she trained under Carl-Martin Sandvold at the Oslo Malerklubb from 2021 to 2022.
Paulina is a member of Spilt Milk and the Art Queens network. Paulina is also the founder of Female Artists Oslo.
How would you describe what you do?
I am a portrait and figurative painter.
What inspires the themes and subjects in your artwork or curatorial projects? Is there a particular message you hope to convey through your work?
People, particularly those around me. The human experience, especially focusing on understanding the impact of mental well-being.Yes, a healing message of hope for people as they go through the shared human experience of mental health struggles.
What challenges have you encountered as an artist or creative entrepreneur so far, and how did you overcome them?
Lack of support (in my immediate circle) and financial resources always seem to be a challenge.
What do you consider the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Seeing people connect to my work at exhibitions and also through social media. The comments and feedback I get. The conversations that we engage in really encourage me to continue to do the deep work of understanding my story and myself and explore it through my art, to actively destigmatize mental health treatments and highlight how societal pressure/expectations, religious, and cultural traditions are affecting mental health on a global scale. A need to evaluate for myself and through my art for others how to shed all the mentioned above as they are at the core of understanding and achieving more self-care, self-love, and self-compassion from a place where we don't need to look or be anything else than who we already are.
What motivated you to pursue an art career?
I feel art so deep in my soul; it was never a question of if I should pursue an art career, it was more about when that would be.
What were the highlights or most valuable insights you gained from participating in "Your Own Art Show" by Gita Joshi and Ekaterina Popova?
The power of knowledge - the how, when, where I can put together an exhibition were some of the most powerful messages that came across and really empowered me.The active support from Gita and Kat in the process of actually putting together the first show. Their hands-on approach has felt as though they have been with me every time I put together an exhibition.The wealth of expertise combined from Ekaterina as a contemporary artist and entrepreneur, as well as Gita’s experience and expertise as a curator and an art educator, is truly invaluable.
