Paula Cuesta - Melancholy

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Portrait exploring the tension and subtle emotion of melancholy and waiting. The artist combines emotive figuration with an avant-garde pictorial language. Emotional Contrast: The figures, enveloped in a pensive greyish blue, convey introspection, especially the figure on the left with her detailed and expressive face. Intentional Colour: The mustard yellow background and the use of electric orange contour lines create a vibrant tension that contrasts with the stillness of the figures, intensifying the feeling of a suspended moment. Ideal for collectors looking for a centrepiece with great visual impact and emotional depth. A powerful work that balances the coldness of emotion with the warmth of bold colour.

ABOUT THE TECHNIQUE
- Mixed technique: oil painting + other mixed paintings on board.
- Hand signed and delivered with certificate of authenticity.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Paula Cuesta Leal (Barcelona, 1981) is a Spanish visual artist whose work is rooted in her early artistic development in Burgos, where she grew up and first explored painting. She completed her Artistic Baccalaureate and formal drawing training at the Diputación de Burgos Academy before earning dual degrees in Fine Arts and Art History from the University of Salamanca (1999–2004). In 2005, she received an International Exchange Scholarship to study at the Universidad de las Américas (UDLA) in Puebla, Mexico—a formative experience that broadened her artistic perspective.

Since 2006, Paula has combined her artistic career with teaching Visual Arts in Molina de Aragón, Castilla-La Mancha, while steadily developing her personal practice. Her work has been recognized through numerous selections and awards, including the X Women in Art “Amalia Avia” Prize (2024), selection in the Fernando Zóbel Fine Arts Competition (2010), and an honorable mention at the I Biennial Sports Painting Competition in Burgos (2004). She has also been frequently selected in competitions for young artists.

Paula has presented several solo exhibitions, including Juego (Madrid, 2024) and a 2023 show at Fundación Caja Rural de Burgos. Her work has appeared in museums, cultural centers, and galleries across Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León. She has also participated in notable group exhibitions, such as Lo Nuestro (2024) and the Amalia Avia women’s art showcase, as well as itinerant projects highlighting rural women artists through collectives like Art Fem, Señorío de Molina, and Molinart.

Carlsson’s early works focused on everyday objects marked by time, chosen from his immediate surroundings and arranged in carefully crafted compositions. His still lifes sought to convey atmosphere, mystery, and symbolic meaning—“a story free to interpret,” as he described them. Over time, he expanded his technique by experimenting with backgrounds, shifting from precise, panel-like settings to more abstract, light-driven spaces that heightened tension and visual interest.

Through travel and participation in international art fairs, Carlsson evolved toward a refined trompe-l’œil style. His recent work blends technical precision with subtle humor, inviting viewers into a playful dialogue where illusion, symbolism, and reality intersect.