Meet Paola Fiterre

Photo by Anyelo Troya

We recently connected with Paola Fiterre and have shared our conversation below.

Paola, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

My resilience comes from my work, it’s what keeps me going. Creating allows me to confront and process my vulnerabilities, especially as an immigrant woman navigating complex cultural and societal expectations. In a way, my art transforms these struggles into a source of strength. It’s through performance and photography that I reclaim my agency and channel my personal battles into something empowering.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m an artist focused on performance and photography, using my work to explore themes of migration, gender, and identity. My art is deeply personal, it’s about confronting vulnerability and turning those experiences into something empowering. I create to navigate the complexities of being an immigrant woman. What excites me most is how my work sparks conversation about the intersection of personal and collective struggles. I want my art to be a space for reflection and resistance, where silence becomes a language of its own. Right now, I’m focusing on expanding my performances and continuing to push the boundaries of what my body can express.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, I think the most impactful qualities for me have been resilience, empathy, and a deep understanding of the intersection between personal and collective experiences. My work, particularly in pieces like Breathe, has been shaped by the need to explore the effects of political power, immigration, and the pressure that comes with being a woman in a new society. These themes are not just personal; they reflect the collective memory of those displaced or exiled, who live between two worlds but don’t fully belong to either.

For those early in their journey, my advice is simple: stay true to what moves you, even when it feels like a struggle. Embrace your vulnerabilities and use them as a source of strength. Understand that your story is part of something bigger and, in that, you’ll find your sense of belonging. Don’t be afraid to question norms and dive deep into the experiences that shape you.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did for me was give my brother and me a life full of love and happiness, despite the social and economic challenges we faced in Cuba. They managed to make our childhood joyful and full of possibility, always prioritizing our well-being. Today, my brother and I are hardworking adults with good hearts, and we owe that to their dedication and the values they gave us.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @paola_fiterre
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paola-martínez-fiterre/

Image Credits

Photo # 1 Photo by Anyelo Troya / Self-portrait / “Untitled” from the Series: Silences / 2019

Photo # 2 Photo by me / Self-portrait / “Untitled” from the Series: Silences. / 2019

Photo # 3 Photo by me / Self-portrait / “Untitled” from the Series: Silences. / 2019

Photo # 4 Photo by me / Self-portrait / “Untitled” from the Series: Different ways to sit on a chair. / 2019

Photo #5 Photo by me / Me in my studio back in Vermont Studio Center doing an artist residency there in 2022.

Photo #6 Photo by me / Self-portrait / Untitled (To NYC) / 2024

Photo #7 Photo by me / Performance / “Breathe” / 2021