Today we’d like to introduce you to Paola Villasenor.
Paola, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started putting up street art in Tijuana after moving there around 19-21 years old. I was not sure what I wanted to do, I was disgusted with the country and its world politics. Also, in personal life my mother had just passed away and I didn’t have much money, personal direction and the economy was crap. I was hanging out in Tijuana among other artists who were very influential to me they were all so DIY they would see my ups and downs and noticed I would always get really active and happy when I would work on art so many of my closest friends saved me by offering me jobs for work and paintings. I was very involved in the party scene during those years so music and Art were part of my daily life and I ended up going from wheat-pasting to aerosol to actual murals.
Finally, I did my first large mural and would do outside illegal murals as much as I could. I was getting my name out there and working with other street artists in the city. There was a point where I clashed with graffiti crews and I started looking around galleries and museums for further opportunities. That was the best thing that could’ve happened because that way I met Ginger Schulick Porcella who then gave me a huge inside mural opportunity and then from there bread and salt, My dream has always been to do large scale murals so this has been a real quest for personal and physical growth as an artist and as a woman.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No. Nothing came easy. It was discovered along the way as I went and figured it out as I brushed myself off from whatever defeat I had previously lost. With art, you work with your heart and it can get weird and dark very fast when you expose your vulnerability to the world to make a living but also so pure. Art has been my therapy my burden and my savior. My attitude drives the bus on that one.
Please tell us more about your art.
I am a muralist and a visual artist. I work full time on my art. I like to emphasize on living along the Mexican US border. The surreal visual aspects of daily life in Tijuana and in general observations that come out of the mundane. I am proud to bring attention to the border and the city because it has a lot more to offer than bars and strip clubs. It is a very multi-layered city. I am known for my style.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Visiting Mexico with my family. My parents were always working so it was nice to see them relax and feel them less stressed. I was able to do things by myself like go buy stuff my grandma needed at the store down the street and take the bus from Cuernavaca to Mexico City alone. But at home that was a big no-no. I think I remember it so fondly that it had so much to do with why I moved here because I wanted to understand that more so I could connect with them on that level.
Contact Info:
- Website: aypanca.com
- Phone: 6642791993
- Email: paolavillasenorita@gmail.com
- Instagram: aypanca
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
