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QUETZALTENANGO
1983
Paula Morales is a gender-fluid, non-binary interdisciplinary artist from Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. They hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco (2015) and a Master of Fine Arts in Art and Technology from the San Francisco Art Institute (2017).
Morales’ work bridges and challenges traditional notions of art, identity, and perception. Drawing from a background in photography, art, and technology, their practice explores the expressive potential of color as a language, along with the ways sensory experience shapes memory, culture, and meaning.
Working through a systems-thinking approach, Morales identifies connections and patterns across disciplines to reveal new perspectives and create responsive solutions. Their artistic practice spans new media, illustration, analog synthesis, and interdisciplinary experimentation, while remaining grounded in accessibility and collective engagement.
Morales is also studying perfumery, expanding their work into olfaction as an additional sensorial layer, exploring fragrance as a medium that interacts with memory, atmosphere, and perception.
Collaboration is central to Morales’ process, reflecting a belief that art can foster dialogue and transform communities.
Morales is the founder and director of The Pitaya Collective, a multidisciplinary ritual, scent, and research practice.
For commissions, collaborations, and inquiries:
hola@thepitayacollective.com