Paz de la Huerta A Phoenix Rising
Paz = peace. De la Huerta = of the orchard.
'Ortus Conclusus' — an orchard, enclosed.Peace of the secret or sacred enclosure.
Paz = peace. De la Huerta = of the orchard. 'Ortus Conclusus,' 'an orchard, enclosed,' is one of the names of the Virgin Mary. Peace of the secret or sacred enclosure. One looks for it, but no one will be spared. The wind of Karma crashes the door. The walls crumble. One is part of an ever-expanding web and inevitably drowns or is swept far away, up in the air.
Goya made innumerable drawings and prints of people laughing or flying. Centuries and continents away, Sister Morgan stitched herself a white dress, covered long scrolls with figures of angels and, standing in front of them, played the trumpet, chased the devil away, and married Jesus.
Drugs are said to open the doors of perception but can also shut them down when the pain is constant, without remedy in one's reasoning. Painting is a remedy too. I saw the photograph of a scroll painted by Paz. The scroll was on the floor, and all around it were photographs of children. All the children were smiling.
Paz is a woman, an actress, a filmmaker, and a painter. Paz once was a girl. Paz once was a child. That child smiled and was happy. To recover that child, to recover that smile — it is a reasonable wish. But one can only dream of one's wishes. And the dreaming is the best part, it is so much better than fulfilling the dream. And painting the dream is even better than dreaming it. So please, everyone, let it all fall down, silently. Paz painting, Paz dreaming, Paz returning to Paz.
From the streets of New York, through the galleries of Paris — Paz de la Huerta arrives as a painter. And this is, entirely, her own work.
From a young age, Paz found solace in painting. Her canvases, laden with surrealism and religious themes, became the silent witnesses to her inner turmoil and unspoken truths. Influenced by the vibrant works of Basquiat — who once walked the same halls of Saint Ann's in Brooklyn Heights — and guided by the profound wisdom of Francesco Clemente, whom she lovingly calls "a friend and teacher," Paz's art blossomed into a powerful testament to her journey.
Beneath the surface of her public persona lay the scars of trauma and abuse. Speaking out against her parents and the infamous Harvey Weinstein, she courageously exposed the darkness that had overshadowed her early years. It was through painting, encouraged by her therapist Michael Rebel, that Paz began to heal.
"Art could heal me," Michael had said — and with each stroke of her brush, Paz transformed her pain into profound, visual narratives.
Her paintings, soaked in surreal and religious imagery, reflected a soul in search of redemption and understanding. Within solitude, she found strength in her spirituality, delving deeper into her faith and practices like Iboga medicine of South America, which further enriched her artistic and personal growth.
"And painting the dream is even better than dreaming it. So please, everyone, let it all fall down, silently."
Francesco Clemente on Paz
Paz
returning
to Paz.
Paz de la Huerta emerged as a phoenix, her wings adorned with the colours of her past and the light of her future. Her story is one of truth prevailing over darkness.
As her therapist once said: "It's a universal law that the truth prevails" — and Paz embodies this law, using her art to shine a light on her journey and inspire others to find their own path to healing.
"Art could heal me."
"Isolation is the gift."
Charles Bukowski — quoted by Paz de la HuertaFirst Solo Show
8 Rue Charlot, Paris
Courtesy Ruttkowski;68 & The Artist
little paz and 5 crying angels COURTESY OF RUTTKOWSKI;68 AND THE ARTIST
Self portrait, crying angels and nastya, COURTESY OF RUTTKOWSKI;68 AND THE ARTIST