Paola Nazario

Paola Nazario is an artist who aims to transcend the many boundaries, both real and imagined, between photographer and subject.  She casts a contemporary light onto the ancient tradition of depicting the human body nude, especially the male form.  In the pantheon of historical male nudes, Paola’s photographs shift the dynamic between artist and subject, firmly directing the audience’s eye to see through her perspective and female gaze. 

Paola was steeped in art and its creation from a young age.  Her grandfather, an artist who focused on minimalist and traditional Philippine forms, greatly inspired and influenced her perception.  He exported and exhibited his handicrafts throughout the world.  Paola’s parents fully support her taking up this mantle of creating and exhibiting her own art.  She went on to study in The New York Film Academy after her Bachelor’s in Consular and Diplomatic Affairs and studies in Interior Design. She has exhibited all around the world, including in the Philippines (2015), Romania (2019), and New York.  Her work spans the spectrum of the artistic to the commercial.  Her photographs have been featured in several publications, including Popular Photography Magazine (2015), and The Complete Portrait Manual Book (2016). 

The space created in her photographs is almost other-worldly, at the very least slightly removed from the time and place in which it was taken, and is made timeless.  It leaves a world seemingly inhabited only by the subject of the portrait and the photographer.  This effect is achieved by the careful lighting of space, creating striking chiaroscuro effects, and the manipulation of the digital world.  Headshots are particularly well-served by this special background, a style of portrait Paola discovered she could provide in exchange for taking nude portraits of some of her male subjects.  Powerful is the assertion of the artist’s will, and evident is the vulnerability of the subject, as they are posed and moved and photographed.  The result, however, is an empowerment of both artist and portrait sitter, as quotidian spaces and the lives of people of all backgrounds are elevated to a plane of elegance, power, and beauty.  by Nicholas Rubin, 2019

Awards

Solo Exhibition, Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation, NY, NY 2019

Photo Exhibit, Conception Arts, NY, NY 2019

Photo Exhibit, RAW, LIC, NY 2019

Photo Exhibit, Rope Street Museum, Brasov, Romania 2019

Photo Featured, The Complete Portrait Manual Book, 2016
Photo Featured, Popular Photography Magazine, 2015

Solo Exhibition, A Space Philippines Gallery, 2015