Paul D. Fuentes is a painter, director and creative director. A graduate of The Tyler School of Art and Architecture (BFA, magna cum laude), he began his advertising and television career in New York, launching his own production company where he directed commercials and national campaigns. Cinematic storytelling carries into his painting practice, where narrative, mood, and atmosphere are central.
Paul’s work has been exhibited at galleries on both coasts, including Sotheby’s New York, The White Room Gallery (East Hampton), Parlor Gallery (Asbury Park), Corridor Contemporary (Philadelphia) and the nationally juried Art in Politics show at Touchstone Gallery (Washington D.C.). His illustrations have appeared in The New York Times and other publications. His portrait of Hillary Clinton was featured in Creative Quarterly Journal and The Village Voice. His television work has earned recognition from the CLIO Awards, Art Directors Club, PROMAX, The New York Festivals, The Belding Awards, and the International Film and Television Awards.
Blending classical composition with contemporary themes Fuentes creates a subtle tension between past and present. His images first draw you in with beauty, mystery, or atmosphere—then invite you to linger, question, and interpret. His experience in film and advertising lend a contemporary cinematic quality to the vivid works.
A sense of story is often found in Paul’s paintings. In Strange Interlude, two women lie in a lush field of wildflowers, their bodies relaxed, eyes closed. One has skin the color of deep blue, the other a rich violet—an intentional shift that renders skin color symbolic rather than specific. There is closeness between them, though the nature of their bond remains undefined. Are they friends? Lovers? Strangers sharing a quiet escape? Strange Interlude is less a conclusion than a moment suspended. The story, ultimately, is yours to finish.
Statement
Ideally, each work is like a compelling film still— inviting the viewer in and hinting at a larger narrative, one they complete for themselves. I’m drawn to scenes that feel cinematic, beautiful or mysterious on the surface, but are layered with deeper, sometimes unexpected meaning. Stories that seem inevitable or predestined, like a ritual or moment of revelation. My influences range from classical painters like Velázquez and Sargent to modern voices such as Tiina Heiska, Joseph Yaeger and Hana Choi. I also pull inspiration from film, advertising, and cinematography, all of which shape my process.
Representation
The White Room Gallery, East Hampton, NY
Parlor Gallery, Asbury Park, NJ
Exhibitions
2025 Parlor Gallery, Magic Hour, Asbury Park, NJ, group exhibition,
2025 The White Room Gallery, Every Picture Tells a Story, East Hampton, NY, group exhibition
2025 Parlor Gallery, Double Trouble, Asbury Park, NJ, group exhibition
2025 The White Room Gallery, What’s Not to Love, East Hampton, NY, group exhibition
2024 The White Room Gallery, Cryptic, East Hampton, NY, group exhibition
2024 The White Room Gallery On the Edge, East Hampton, NY, group exhibition
2023 The White Room Gallery, Naughty / Nice, East Hampton, NY, group exhibition
2023 Corridor Contemporary, Philadelphia Featured, Philadelphia, PA, group exhibition
2023 The White Room Gallery, Yin Yang, Bridgehampton, NY, group exhibition
2023 OC Arts Center, Subject to Change, solo show, Ocean City, NJ
2022 Era Contemporary Gallery, Legends of the Moon. In collaboration with NASA’s Lunar Codex destined for the moon, Polaris Mission 2023
2022 Corridor Contemporary Gallery, Philadelphia Featured, group exhibition
2021 Corridor Contemporary Gallery, Person to Person: An International Survey of Portraiture, Philadelphia, PA
2020 Alfa Art Gallery, Configured Personas group exhibition, New Brunswick, NJ
2020 Las Laguna Gallery, Portraits, Laguna Beach, CA, group show
2020 Solo show, Portraits & Pop, Ocean City Arts Center, Ocean City, NJ
2019 Viridian Artists Gallery 30th International Juried Exhibition, New York, NY
2019 Philadelphia Sketch Club 11th Annual Juried Exhibition, Philadelphia, PA
2019 Maxum Gallery, Hearts and Minds, Atlantic City, NJ, group exhibition
2019 Newport Beach Annual Art Exhibition, Newport Beach, CA
2018 Sotheby’s Ad Art Show, group exhibition, New York, NY, group exhibition
2016 Touchstone Gallery, Art As Politics National Juried Exhibition, Washington DC
2016 Featured in Creative Quarterly Journal