Gigi Bio is a renaissance woman living in Brooklyn, New York. 
 
Geraldine "Gigi" Paulin Bio was born on July 9, 1978 in Oakland, California. Ever since childhood, she was an creative being with aspirations for art & design. While studying fashion design & illustration, she found her visual voice through painting. She was deep into raw emotion & color theory;  further discovering the healing power of art. Throughout 1999-2001, she was one of the first resident artist of the late Brooklyn Contemporary Art Center (BCAC) in Jacksonville, FL. Being an active artist, she was a mural painter working with the community and the youth; further building the rising art scene in Florida. In 2000, she graduated with an AA in Fine Art & Fashion Design from Florida Community College at Jacksonville. In 2003, Gigi graduated with a BFA in Fashion Design at Savannah College of Art & Design.

Today, she is a creative designer who specializes in fashion illustration, women's wear, print & embroidery design. She is also the founder & creator for small run accessory line created by rare vintage fabrics called Belles and Whistles. Over the past five years, she has designed for American Eagle Outfitters, Macy's Inc., J Crew / Madewell and The Malcolm Group. She continues to work towards fashion Illustration and photography, as well as, co-create a new clothing line set to debut this year. 
 
In addition to her fashion career, she is an artist specializing in Digital Photo Collage. As a child, she was intrigued by nature, numbers & signs while traveling in the highways throughout the east coast. Inspired by the changing landscapes of New York, Gigi aims to create a world in motion; a product of the past colliding with the present. Her vision is a reflection of life; a world full of energy and movement. She recreates structures & build the world through multiple perspectives. She encourages the viewer to experience their environment by creating a sense of extreme awareness  and to appreciate beauty in the mundane and find order in chaos of everyday life. Currently, Bio is working on a series of installations based on her Urban Reconstructionist series geared towards interior spaces & the minimalist lifestyle. 

Gigi was also the co-director of the Brooklyn Artsmith Collective (BAC). The mission of the collective is to give back to the community and collaborate with local schools in Brooklyn to help raise money for art education & inspire the next generation through art. In 2009, the BAC successfully held an art exhibit & silent auction selling artwork from the collective & students at Galapagos Art Space in Dumbo, Brooklyn raising money for the school during economic hardships. 
 
Her work was featured in exhibits and publications for "Street or Studio - The History of Urban Photography" at Tate Modern in London, UK and "Click - The Changing Faces of Brooklyn" at Brooklyn Museum in Brooklyn, NY. In 2009, she was part of Art Whino: MIAMI during Art Basel Miami. In 2010, she was part of an international art show G40: The Summit in Washington DC. Most recently, her work was published in Slice Magazine Spring / Summer 2010 Issue 6: Metropolis. She is represented by Galerie Geraldine Zberro in Paris, France & Art Whino Gallery in Washington DC. She will have her first solo show at Art Whino Gallery, Washington DC in January 2011.  
 

ARTIST STATEMENT:

My view of the world is a product of the past colliding with the present. As a child, I dissected everything I saw into new compositions & personal narratives. I was intrigued by nature, numbers & signs while watching the highway's dotted painted lines gaining momentum after each mile. The outside world was a form of entertainment while traveling in the highways.

Graffiti has always been an inspiration to me. I aim to expose the emotional side of graffiti infested city streets. I push the final image to it's limit, to abstraction juxtaposing the world into something new. I use the layered, decayed & organic nature of the streets as an inspiration behind the flow & mass layering in my work. I see the world like a writer's tag, full of life and organic movement. In my eyes, graffiti exists all around us in reflections, shadows, buildings and the roads.

Today, I am inspired by the changing landscapes of New York because it is a city in constant flow. My work is a reflection of life in the streets. Each piece represents a world full of life, energy and movement. I aim to recreate life & build the world through multiple perspectives. I encourage the viewer how to fully experience the environment by creating a sense of extreme awareness of the world, to appreciate beauty in the mundane and find order in chaos. My artwork is greatly inspired by my environment, but hidden between the layers is a narrative of life.


BORN:
1978, Oakland, CA

EDUCATION
2003:
BFA Degree Fashion Design, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA

2000:
AA Degree Fine Art & Fashion Design, Florida State College, Jacksonville, FL

EXHIBITIONS
2011:
UPCOMING:
Juxted Solo Show, Art Whino Gallery, Washington DC

2010:
Graffolution, Soapstone Gallery, New York, NY
G40: Art Summit, Art Whino Gallery, Arlington, VA
2010 RFS Taste the World, Refugee Family Services Benefit, Atlanta, GA
Under the Bridge, 47 Monroe Street Gallery Loft, New York, NY

UPCOMING:
Across The Board, Art Benefit for Autism, New York, NY
Galerie Geraldine Zberro, Paris, France

2009:
Art Whino: MIAMI, Art Whino Gallery, Miami, FL
Rebar & 303rd Collective: Dumbo Festival, Dumbo Loft, Brooklyn, NY
Beta Banger, Die Fabrik Loft, New York, NY
BoConcepts presents: Art for Urban Design, BoConcepts, New York, NY
Brooklyn Artsmith Collective & PS261: Project 261 Art Show & Fundraiser, Galapagos Art Space,
Brooklyn, NY

2008:
Street or Studio – The History of Urban Photography, Tate Modern, London, UK
Click! The Changing Faces of Brooklyn, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY
Girls Dream in Color "Baby, Let me show you what Love is", Harriet's Alter Ego, Brooklyn, NY

2004:
Sense of Otherness, Pinnacle Gallery, Savannah, GA
Sense of Otherness, Savannah Gallery, Atlanta, GA
Faces of SCAD, Hamilton Hall Gallery, Savannah,GA

2002:
Making Sense, Gallery Espresso, Savannah, GA

2001:
Open Studio Night, Alexander Hall Gallery, Savannah,GA
Taste of Five Points, Fuel Gallery, Jacksonville, FL

2000:
Media, River Room, Southend Brewery, Jacksonville, FL
Junio Show, Brooklyn Contemporary Art Center, Jacksonville, FL

1999 - 2001:
First Fridays Group Shows, Brooklyn Contemporary Art Center, Jacksonville, FL

ACTIVITIES:
Co-Director / Art Instructor, Brooklyn Artsmith Collective, Brooklyn, NY
Resident Artist, Brooklyn Contemporary Art Center, Jacksonville, FL
Installation Artist, Pipe Tree Installation, Florida State College - Kent Campus, Jacksonville, FL
Mural Artist, Women of Humanties Mural Project, Florida State College -Kent Campus, Jacksonville, FL
Mural Artist / Art Instructor, Make A Difference Day, Justina Elementary, Jacksonville, FL

PRESS:
"Q&A WITH ARTIST GIGI BIO - Don't Call Her a Cubist, She's Been Here For Years!" Interview on www.sofreshsogreen.com
"Restitching the City in Photos" Article on www.bushwickbk.com
"Friday Art Star: Gigi Bio" Featured Artist on www.protopol.us
"Cityscapes: Street Art Comes to PS261" Article on www.wync.org

AWARDS:
Marian Edna Effing Portfolio Scholarship, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA
Visual Arts Talent Grant, Florida State College at Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL

PUBLICATIONS:
Slice Magazine - Issue 6: Metropolis, New York, NY
Street or Studio - A Photobook, Tate Modern, London, UK
Click! A Crowd-Curated Exhibition, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY
Schmaps Guides - Online & Desktop Travel Guides

COLLECTIONS:
Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA
Florida State College, Jacksonville, FL

REPRESENTED BY:
Galerie Geraldine Zberro, Paris, France
Art Whino Gallery, Washington DC