julie Paez

Artist Statement

I tell "Creation" stories. Stories of how the world came to be, from a time when we honored the
spirits around us and held the earth sacred. Through my assemblages, I seek to draw the viewer
into a mystical world, awakening an ancient ancestral memory. My goal is to evoke the feeling
of stumbling upon a sacred site: long abandoned, yet still radiating power.

My work uses natural plant materials, weathered boxes, rusted metal, and discarded
architectural fragments. I do not to manipulate these objects, allowing their age, history, and
inherent essence to speak.
Every piece begins with a single central item ~ a bird’s nest, a rusted box, a printer's drawer
that acts as the narrative anchor. Sometimes the complete story reveals itself immediately; other
times, I need forage for the complementary elements needed to finish the story that the central
object wants to tell.

In the 1980's I traveled extensively
throughout South America, and was profoundly influenced by shamans and Indigenous
traditions honoring Mother Earth ~ Pachamama. These experiences created a deep reverence for
the sacred world and guide my practice.