Paulo P. Lima, Ph.D.
Artist Statement
A poetics of images, my art strives to pay homage to my ancestors and to express my feelings and desires to those around me. Through my art, I strive to connect to the cultures that are (in)forming my multiple identities. Sculptures, paintings and photographs have been some of the creative outlets that I use to express my worldview and sense of beauty (and decay). The inclusion of recycled materials in my work offers discarded objects a “new” life that celebrates the circularity of beauty.
Biography
In 2002, Brazilian artist Paulo P. Lima (b. 1967) moved to the United States to work in the hospitality business. After a couple of years working in Colorado, he moved to California to earn an MFA in theater arts at California State University, Long Beach. While in his graduate program, Paulo designed costumes for national and international plays, including The Saint Plays, by Erik Ehn. It was during the research for his costumes for The Saint Plays that Paulo discovered a new outlet for his creativity – Brazilian Baroque Saints, which he simply calls “santos”.
His new creative outlet was inspired by the 19th century Brazilian Baroque art tradition of dressing saints. These religious figures were usually dressed to be displayed in churches or carried during religious processions. With that tradition in mind, Paulo started dressing vintage reproductions of santos with a contemporary and secular look. Using handcrafted felts, hand-dyed silk, found objects, jewelry and recycled materials, Paulo adds texture and color to his creations.
Since 2009, Paulo has created several collections and more than 140 figures. In July 2020, Paulo unveiled a new collection at Sullivan Goss, a local gallery in Santa Barbara, CA.
Lima received his doctoral degree in theater and performance studies at UCLA in 2014. His dissertation, Candomblé and Its Living Garments, touches upon issues of “race,” gender and class in the use of dress for religious and secular performances in Brazil. Lima has exhibited photographs taken during his doctoral research in Brazil in several galleries in California.
Dr. Lima’s newfound inspiration in photography comes from his dissertation on Afro-Brazilian dress and costumes worn by practitioners of Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion practiced in Brazil since the beginning of the eighteenth century. His images evoke the importance of dress for religious ceremonies, fashion and secular performances. Lima’s artistic eyes are also interested in landscape, portraits and nature (especially flowers).
Paulo had his first national exhibition in 2015, when he showcased photography and Baroque figures in the exhibition: AfroBrasil: Art and Identities at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM. This exhibition displayed artwork of various Brazilian artists interested in the dialogue among Afro-Brazilian culture and art and the U.S. Latinx communities.
Now a community artist based in Santa Barbara, Lima is sculpting figures of his own. No longer purchasing vintage figures produced abroad, Lima is dedicating his time to create ensembles that are dressed with recycled materials found in Southern California and other parts of the world. During the pandemic caused by Covid-19, Lima also became interested in painting. Since November 2020, Lima has worked on creating abstract paintings using a variety of techniques, including mixed media and acrylic.
In addition to being an artist, Lima teaches diversity through theater at Loyola Marymount University and costume design, costume history and art classes at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. When not teaching or making art, Paulo enjoys walking his sweet companion Mia, an English Cocker Spaniel, outside his studio near Santa Barbara Funk Zone District.