Photos courtesy of Paola Díaz del Castillo Rosique
The sun-kissed second floor of the Paul Mellon Arts Center (PMAC) is where artist Paola Díaz del Castillo Rosique ’23 brings art to life. Díaz del Castillo Rosique uses her artwork as a form of self-expression; she brings themes from her daily life, such as the struggles of being a student at Choate or the pressure to be “perfect” into her ink and collage work.
Díaz del Castillo Rosique’s art usually starts with the search for inspiration, a part that she takes pleasure in. She expressed that “coming up with the idea, and that moment when I realize I have the perfect theme,” is the most enjoyable. After pinpointing an idea, she begins to manifest that envision by sketching and drafting. During this stage, her initial idea is often significantly altered because of the many elements she integrates along the way.
For Díaz del Castillo Rosique, coming up with an idea for the final piece is the most challenging part. When she feels lost or frustrated, she draws motivation from thinking about the final product and lets that sense of fulfillment guide her to enjoy the creation process. Therefore, Díaz del Castillo Rosique prefers “going with the flow” and incorporating different techniques and methods to express her message, instead of being fixated on the materialization of her basic idea. She described the last stages of piecing all the parts together as “the end of the tunnel,” for she deeply cherishes the process of seeing a seemingly disorganized work grow into a coherent one.
Recently, Díaz del Castillo Rosique has been exploring the integration of ink drawings and collages in her art, attempting to experiment with an unfamiliar form of art. In her collages, she combines her own artwork, both new and recycled from her sketchbooks instead of taking materials from magazines and pictures, to convey her message through her work entirely.
Díaz del Castillo Rosique worked on five different pieces in the fall term, each layered with a “different theme I was struggling with or thinking about, or what people can relate to, especially with classes at Choate or Choate life,” she explained.
For example, one of her pieces focuses on the struggle of losing her identity when trying to fulfill her goals to reach the perfect societal standard. The piece features the image of a girl in a mirror, unable to recognize herself due to outside influences, such as pressure from parents and teachers. Another more personal piece was of a skeleton holding a paintbrush, almost a self-portrait of Díaz del Castillo Rosique; she noted that it feels “more like myself when I paint, but also not having enough time to feel like myself.”
In addition to the exploration of ink and collage artwork, Díaz del Castillo Rosique is working on an oil painting piece, which is also a new medium to her. Through this project, she hopes to not only improve her technique but also incorporate “the element of collage to it to make it more unique and different, which is something I really enjoyed doing in fall term,” she said. With this piece, Díaz del Castillo Rosique aspires to influence more people to focus on the present; “When you’re too focused on the future or the past, you start losing what’s around you currently and the importance of being present,” she said.
Finding her identity as an artist has been something Díaz del Castillo Rosique struggled with in the past. “I would just practice technique without a meaning behind it,” she said. However, she feels that she has grown as an artist by being more intentional with using different techniques. She further noted her appreciation for the support and advice that the Arts Concentration Signature Program gave to her. Under the guidance of her teachers and fellow student artists, she found a way to express herself through art and to layer deeper meanings into her work. With their encouragement, she explored new mediums of art that were extended beyond her comfort zone and broadened her horizons in her craft.
