Paula Roland

"Making art provides a dialogue between my inner and outer worlds. It connects me to others and provides revelations that deepen my self-understanding. The fluidity of the wax requires a letting go, while remaining mindful. I find the approach a stimulating process, and a meditation. My processes and materials become metaphors for ideas concerning chaos theory, alchemy, chance occurrence, culture and art."

Paula Roland is drawn to geographical areas that are culturally rich and have a strong sense of place. Originally from the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and New Orleans, Roland moved to Santa Fe in 1989. Through abstract, repetitive mark-making, her work examines unstable systems including those in social structure, weather, populations and interactions between humans and the natural world.

Notable figures in art, such as  Lowery Stokes Sims, Roberta Smith, Susan Krane, and Louis Grachos have selected her works for exhibition and award. Roland has had 14 solo exhibitions and nearly 100 group exhibitions. She has received numerous commissions, fellowships and awards, including one from the National Endowment for the Arts. Her work is held in major collections including Agilent Technologies; R&F Handmade Paints; and the Department of State, American Embassies in Uganda and South Africa.