Collection: Paula Cahill

Bio

Paula Cahill is a contemporary American artist. She is known for her dark blue paintings composed with a single, continuous line reminiscent of the bioluminescent light that emanates from sea-life at deep, dark depths.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Paula relocated to the Northeast where she received merit and academic scholarships while pursuing an education in the arts. She holds an MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and a BFA from Tyler School of Art and Architecture. She also studied at the Art Students League of New York and Parsons School of Design where she received a merit scholarship as a transfer student.

Paula has served as an undergraduate critic and speaker at Temple University. In addition, she was a visiting artist at the Westtown School in West Chester, Pennsylvania and has given artist talks for the Abington Art Center and the Abington School District.

Paula’s award winning work has been exhibited extensively in solo and group shows throughout the North East. Her paintings are included in prestigious private and public collections throughout the United States, most notably the Charles Library Collection at Temple University, the PNC Bank Collection, Capital One Corporate Collection, and Brandywine Realty Trust to list a few. Recent paintings are currently on view and available at The Delaware Center for Contemporary Art in the solo exhibition, It Is What It Isn’t through October, 2024.

She has worked out of her studio at the historic Crane Old School in the Kensington-Fishtown area of Philadelphia since 2013.

Statement

"Line is the predominant subject in my paintings. I strive to push the historical conversation into the contemporary, elevating the integral role line has played in art, design, and the sciences since its early appearance in rock and cave drawings.

As I prepare to paint, I mix up to 100 gradients of color derived from my memories of scuba diving among tropical fish on the worldʼs coral reefs. By repeatedly laying down the colorful gradients one brushstroke at a time, I create paintings comprised of a single luminous line that meanders and changes color hundreds of times with a light quality, reminiscent of the bioluminescence that emanates from sea-life. Ultimately, these paintings offer viewers an interactive and contemplative experience through the act of visual tracking."