Paulina M Johnson

I’ve been working formally with paper since 2017. My approach and process has evolved since. As a paper artist, my work is rooted in a minimalist design aesthetic and a genuine love of paper. I am inspired by nature and strive to capture its complexity and beauty with the simplest of elements—such as circles and lines. In my studio, I am a maker. Working with my hands has always brought my mind a sense of ease and my body a feeling of purpose. I work with paper because I truly believe in its magic. Until recently, paper single-handedly held and carried most of our history as human beings. It is incredibly versatile and unassuming. Most importantly, it is natural. Much of what I do is fueled by a curiosity to listen as it interacts with its environment when pushed beyond the flat surface and out into the three-dimensional world of light and shadow.

Originally from Mexico City, via California, and South Carolina, Paulina has been immersed in the fields of art and graphic design for over 15 years. She received a B.F.A. from the Academy of Art University and the University of San Francisco in 1999. Additionally, in October of 2017, she earned an M.F.A. from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is an adjunct professor at Colorado Mountain College (CMC) and an exhibiting parter at Pine Moon Fine Arts Gallery. Paulina lives in beautiful Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where she enjoys the mountains with her husband and two boys.

2022 ARVADA CENTER FOR THE ARTS & HUMANITIES // Art of the State 2022 // Juried Exhibition — Arvada, CO
2021 EXHIBIZONE // Diversia: Food 2021 // Online Group Exhibition
2021 MVA GALLERY // Nature – Landscape Serene & Savage // National Juried Exhibition — Bethlehem, PA
2021 MORGAN ART OF PAPERMAKING CONSERVATORY // National Juried Exhibition — Cleveland, OH
2021 LAS LAGUNA ART GALLERY // Women in Art 2021, Online Exhibition — Laguna Beach, CA
2020 PINE MOON FINE ART // Short Stories, Solo Exhibition — Steamboat Springs, CO
2020 GET THE GALLERY // Exhibiting Member — Denver, CO
2020 ARTGYM // artWork From Home, Group Exhibition — Denver, CO
2020 R GALLERY // Exploring Sunlight, Group Exhibition — Boulder, CO
2019 DEPOT ART CENTER // The Yampa River Art & Science Exhibition, Group Exhibition — Steamboat Springs, CO
2019 THE SKI LOCKER // Wax On Wax Off – A Year of Paper Practice, Solo Exhibition — Steamboat Springs, CO
2019 JACE ROMICK GALLERY // Shine On, Group Show for Sancy Shaw Memorial Fund — Steamboat Springs, CO
2019 THE SKI LOCKER/THE SMOKEHOUSE // Young Bloods Collective, Varied Group Shows — Steamboat Springs, CO
2018 ELEANOR BLISS CENTER FOR THE ARTS // Riverwalk Collective, Varied Group Shows —...