Dr. Paula Plaza
Paula Plaza, scientific illustrator, Corresponding Academician of the Royal Academy of Medicine of the Canary Islands and Numerary Member of the Royal European Academy of Doctors (READ), presented her latest works during the XLI Conference on the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics, organized by the Canary Society of Mathematics Teachers Luis Balbuena Castellano and held in San Sebastián de La Gomera from 23 to 26 October. The event was supported by the Government of the Canary Islands, the Island Council of La Gomera and the Municipality of San Sebastián de La Gomera.
Under the title “Exceptional Women”, the exhibition rescued from oblivion and dignified the figures of women who have transformed history across various fields. For this edition, the focus was placed on great women mathematicians, whose work and achievements have often remained overshadowed by biased historical narratives. Through illustration and painting, Plaza not only seeks to recreate and portray, but also to give visibility and humanity to the complex work of pioneers such as Hypatia of Alexandria, Sophie Germain, or the contemporary Maryam Mirzakhani, among many others. The exhibition went far beyond decoration, becoming a powerful educational tool that inspires younger generations by offering tangible and admirable female role models in the sciences, and by connecting abstract rigor with the life stories of its creators—making mathematics more approachable and imbuing it with emotional depth.
Close-up of Hypatia of Alexandria. Image by El disidente, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
“This symbiosis between the sensitivity of the fine arts and the precision of science not only enriched the conference of the Canary Society of Mathematics Teachers, but also reaffirmed the central thesis of my work: intellectual progress is incomplete without equity and visibility. Only through the integration of different branches of knowledge, and with the support of public institutions, can we build a fairer, more inclusive and more universal scientific culture,” the Academician reflected when analysing the event.
Plaza had previously exhibited her work during the programme “Women, Psychological Suffering and Suicide: A Feminist Perspective”, organized by the Canary Institute for Equality in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where she presented “Illustrating Extraordinary Women with Mental Suffering and Suicide”—a reflection on a significant group of socially prominent women who suffered from various psychiatric disorders and, in many cases, tragically died by suicide. Each reflection and biographical profile was accompanied by an illustration.
