Artist Bio
Laila de Paulis (born in Sweden in 1988 and raised in Kirkkonummi, Finland) is a fine art painter currently based in Indiana, United States. Art and creativity have been part of her life since childhood.
Growing up surrounded by forests and lakes, Laila developed an early connection to nature that continues to influence her work today. Her curiosity, life experiences, and desire to explore new ideas shape the way she approaches art. For her, painting is a form of exploration—a journey of discovery that she hopes viewers can experience through her work.
Her paintings often balance peacefulness with a sense of living energy, inviting moments of curiosity, discovery, and surprise. She is drawn to the balance between calmness and exploration, softness and strength, creating imagined spaces that feel both familiar and dreamlike.
Laila works primarily with oil, texture, and mixed media, building layered surfaces that give each painting depth and presence. Gold and glitter are incorporated into her work as distinctive material elements. Through these materials and her imagery, she explores themes of resilience, wonder, discovery, and the hidden layers that exist beneath the surface of everyday life.
Artist statement
My art is inspired by nature, animals, and my desire to explore imagined worlds.
I often paint small animals because I see them as quiet explorers—gentle and calm, yet full of curiosity, energy, and strength. They move through their environments with a sense of wonder, discovering what lies beyond what is immediately known.
In many ways, I see something of myself in these animals. I can be observant and reflective, but I am also driven when I discover a new goal or challenge that I want to pursue. That same sense of curiosity and perseverance finds its way into my paintings.
Texture, mixed media and gold leaf are central to my process. I build layered surfaces that can be thought of as a diamond cave: beneath the ordinary surface of what we see each day, there may be another layer waiting to be discovered—hidden, mysterious, and full of possibility.
This idea of hidden layers also connects to the small crowns that appear throughout my work. The crowns symbolize moments of achievement along life's journey—the goals we reach, the challenges we overcome, and the quiet victories that may not always be visible to others.
Through animals, imagined environments, texture, and symbolic details, I invite the viewer to slow down, look closer, and discover something unexpected beneath the surface.
Education
Professional Artist Program
Milan Art Institute, 2026
Bachelor's Degree in Crafts and Industrial Arts — Artisan Goldsmith
Finland, 2011
Exhibitions
2026 — Aquarium
4th Annual Juried Exhibition, Publication & Sales
Gallerium Art Exhibitions
2026 — Kingdom Animalia
5th Annual Juried Exhibition, Promotion & Sales
Exhibizone Exhibitions
Commissions
2024 — Commissioned Artwork
Artwork created for community organizations.