Artist Talk: Paula Champagne

Paula Champagne is a visual storyteller specializing in video, documentary photography, illustration, and graphic design. Her mural, Basking in the Blooms, located in the Food Hall is the latest addition to The Collision Project.

• Describe the work that you do.

My multimedia work communicates authentic human experiences. I seek to capture the beauty in honest moments and to highlight stories that are traditionally unsung. Inspired by my experiences in the outdoors, my most recent projects explore and honor the healing intersection of Blackness, nature, and rest.

• Describe this mural/artwork.

 I’ve been clinging to nature and rest especially tightly this year as a means to survive, heal, and thrive. This mural honors my restorative process and my beautiful connection with the natural world. The figure in this piece isn’t a self-portrait, but it represents my evolving relationship to the earth as a Black woman.

• What inspires you as an artist? 

I’m endlessly inspired by the natural environments around me.

• What’s the favorite part of your job?

I love that I’m able to work in a variety of mediums, including video, photography, digital illustration, motion graphics, paint, graphic design, and more. This variety suits my sense of curiosity and allows me to use the breadth of my creative talents and interests.

• How did you start as an artist? 

I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember. I fondly remember painting, drawing, and creating as a child—and I always had an assumption that art would be a part of my career and life in some way. My mediums have evolved and widened, and I’ve been working as a multimedia creative for the past 11 years. Last year I started freelancing full-time, and that’s allowed me to continue to stretch my mediums and have more creative autonomy.

• Piece of advice for artists out there? 

Don’t be afraid to try new things! Sometimes I have a breakthrough in one medium that ends up translating in surprising and wonderful ways in other mediums.