Paola De Narvaez was born and raised in Paris by a French mother and a Colombian father, both working in the art and design world.
Background
From her mother, a graphic designer working for magazines, Paola learned to understand aesthetics and trends. From her father, a painter working on large scale canvas in the artistic neighborhood of Montreuil, she spent her weekends and holidays browsing through Art books (Velasquez, Da Vinci, Caravaggio, Géricault, Ingres…) to study anatomy, drawing and composition.
“As a child and teenager, drawing was my primary form of expression, before writing. I absolutely had to draw everyday, to organize my ideas, or explain thoughts to others.”
Constantly surrounded by art and design, Paola never considered working in another field. She studied Textile design in Paris (ESAA Duperré) and Mastered in Graphic Design and Communication in ENSAV La Cambre in Brussels (2018). She worked for fashion brands Essentiel Antwerp, Bellerose, Atelier Crump. She made illustration works for City of Brussels, Africa museum of Tervuren, magazine La Grande Oreille, Boma.global website and TedXParis 2018 and 2019 editions.
Ceramics
When she discovered ceramics in South of France in 2016, she felt she could bring drawing to another dimension. “Mixing drawing and ceramics is for me an evidence. I love to make shapes, drawings, textures and colours play with each other to create a unique world in one piece.”
Paola sells her collections in shops spread out in Europe: in Tangerine Sunshine (Berchem, Belgium), in Yonobi (Copenhagen, Denmark). She made a collection for the Mayer Van Den Bergh museum shop, inspired by the art pieces of the museum. She successfully participated to the 2022 “1000Vases” edition in Paris.Paola lives and works in Antwerp, Belgium.
Teaching
After following classes of ceramics hand building techniques at Sukoon Studio in Antwerp, Paola started teaching there classes of Painting on Clay. This class focusses on learning how to paint with engobes, how to layer colors and create beautiful designs on clay. She teaches students how to build tableware objects and how to paint on them. This popular class started in 2021 and is sought after for its unique artistic teaching proposition.
Reach out if you are willing to collaborate to interior design projects, art exhibitions, or other forms of partnership.
E—mail
Denarvaez.paola@gmail.com
Instagram
@paoladenarvaez
Publications
2023 — 2024 Illustrations of the Museum prescriptions @ Bruxelles Ville (Brussels)
2020 — juil. Africa Museum Tervuren: Livret Parcours Mabele @Tervuren
2020 — jan. Africa Museum Tervuren: Livret Parcours Watoto @Tervuren
2019 — nov. La Cambre Illustre, Picture Festival @Brussels
2019 — mar. TEDxParis Salon
2018 — 2019 La Grande Oreille Magazine
2018 — 2019. fr.boma.global2018 — nov. TEDxParis
2017 — mar. Bien Fait! children book (Text by Jane Oshka, Versant Sud Jeunesse ed.)
2016 — mar. Rugissement dans la nuit children book (Versant Sud Jeunesse ed.)
Awards
2018 — nov. Winner of the online poster contest "Pas mon Genre" organized by @Étapes Graphique (France)
2018 — oct. Conference at the Museum of Musical Instruments on graduation project. Organized by Ohm project (Brussels, Belgium)
2018 — jan. White Raven selection for Children book Bien Fait! (Versant Sud Jeunesse ed.)
2017 — mar. CNL support for Children book Bien Fait! (Versant Sud Jeunesse ed.)
Adventures
2020 - 2024 Graphic Designer @Essentiel Antwerp (Antwerp, Belgium)
2020 — Graphic Designer @Bellerose (Brussels, Belgium)
2019 — 2020 Junior Graphic Designer @Essentiel Antwerp (Antwerp, Belgium)
2018 — 2019 Graphic Designer & Illustrator @Brightness agency (Paris, France), working for Brightness, Boma Global, TEDxParis
Diplomas
2018 — jun. Master Graphic Design & Visual Communication — Great Distinction — @ENSAV La Cambre (Brussels, Belgium)
2016 — jun. Bachelor Graphic Design & Visual Communication @ENSAV La Cambre (Brussels, Belgium)
2013 — may. BTS Textile Design @ESAA Duperré (Paris, France)
