Carolina Pavia is a visual artist whose practice unfolds across urban art, easel painting, and textile experimentation. Her work, marked by a dreamlike sensibility and a deeply personal perspective, emerges from a sense of wonder at the images that surrounded her in childhood and from the desire to find her own voice in the public sphere.
With roots in graffiti and a later transition toward muralism and oil painting, Carolina has developed a style that engages with surrealism and magical realism — not as aesthetic references, but as a way of inhabiting the world. Motherhood, the female body, memory, and imagination are central threads in her work. In this conversation, we discuss her creative process, the projects that have shaped her career, her current explorations, and her thoughts on emerging artists in Latin America.

What sparked your passion for painting and urban art? 
 - Curiosity. My mother had a replica
    of Botticelli’s Venus in the living
   room, and I spent my whole
   childhood looking at it, wondering
   how a painting like that could be
   made. When I first picked up a
   spray can, I was amazed by the
   power I felt seeing the paint appear
   on the wall. From that moment on,
   I wanted to discover what art had in
   store for me.

How did your transition from street graffiti to mural painting happen? 
 - I have always loved urban art and
   muralism, and I still do. But I
   stopped using spray paint for
   health reasons. Even so, that
   experience still defines me as an
   artist — it simply pushed me to
   explore other techniques.

What influence do magical realism or surrealism have on your work?
 - I think it’s simply the way I see
   the world. Long before I studied art
   history, I was - and still am - very 
   imaginative. I like to think that I
   interpret the world in a different
   way. When I eventually discovered
   those movements, I realized they
   aligned perfectly with my path.
   But it didn’t happen overnight; it
   has been a long process of
   experimentation and trial and error.

How would you describe the creative process behind projects like Amárrame Tour or SOMA?
 - Honestly, my creative process feels
   very natural. An idea appears in my
   mind, and then I start developing it.
   I refine the concept through
   sketches until it becomes
   somethingthat truly convinces me.

How has motherhood influenced your creative projects and priorities?
 - In every way. Experiencing life
   through my own body transformed
   me forever. I feel that motherhood
   has made me stronger in every
   sense.

Is there any project or exhibition that has particularly marked you?
 - Yes. I believe my first formal
   exhibition in 2016 changed my life.

Where would you like to take your murals or paintings internationally?
 - Honestly, I would love to paint all
   over the world. I believe that every
   place holds its own unique magic.

What message would you like to convey through your art?
 - I like to think that, despite the
   chaos in the world, people can step
   away from their daily routines and
   dream a little with me.

What are you currently exploring in your technique or style? 
 - Compared to a few years ago, I’m
   working much more with oil
   painting, and I’m also exploring the
   textile world through designs that I
   create myself.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to enter the art world, especially in Mexico and Latin America? 
 - Prepare yourself. Talent is only a
   small part of what art requires.
   Believe in yourself and push
   yourself forward - because it is
   possible.

Agosto D. Lombardo in conversation with Carolina Pavia