One to Watch

Clara Fialho

Clara Fialho was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 1984, and currently lives in New York City. She received her BFA from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in 2006. She has exhibited extensively in group, two-person, and solo shows, including NYC’s Merge Gallery and Tria Gallery. Clara’s abstracted artworks combine sumptuous colors with circular and simple shapes. Her joyous compositions range in size from petite watercolors and drawings, to colossal canvases that overwhelm the viewer with their inherent beauty.

What are the major themes you pursue in your work?
The unconscious, impermanence, relationships, unity, the universe, nature, dreams, and love.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist? 
When I was still a student at Cooper, a curator told me, “Never turn down a show just because it’s small. You never know who is going to see it.”

Prefer to work with music or in silence?
Movement is important in my work, and I always need music for that to happen.

If you could only have one piece of art in your life, what would it be?
If I had to live with only one piece of art, it would be a gorgeous drawing my little sister made for me. I wouldn’t trade it for any famous piece.

Who are your favorite writers?
I would say Jorge Luis Borges and Carl Jung.