PERSONAL DOSSIER & PORTFOLIO

ART CONSERVATION

"Every great painting teaches us how to see again."

Applicant Nicole Rivera Lara

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Target Entry AUTUMN 2027

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Specialization Heritage & Material Restoration

Nicole Rivera Lara

RÉSUMÉ

Experience & Extracurriculars

Political Informative Group 2022 – 2024

Provided historic and economical context of the country.

CUAM-ACM Research Congress 2023

Discussed how historical factors and economic decisions can impact daily life in Latin American countries.

Skills & Methodologies

Historical Analysis

Examining historical events and their influence on modern society.

Archival Research

Working with primary sources.

Critical Thinking

Applied through argumentation and debate.

Education

Centro Universitario Angloparlante Mexicano Cancún, México

Nicole Rivera Lara

Profile

MISSION STATEMENT

Goal Statement

"I was in the middle of nature surrounded by the proof of relevant events for our society, drawn to the stories hidden behind works of art and architecture, and came to understand that everything around us somehow influences the society we live in today."

"For me, the most important proof of our evolution as a species is art. Restoring a historic work is not simply repairing something old; it is protecting a piece of history so that its story can continue to be understood by people who were not there to witness it."

VISUAL DOCUMENTATION

My Art Gallery & Own Research

"I am currently exploring my own niche interest in paintings and related art pieces. Here are some examples:"

Joaquin Phoenix Joker

I wanted to illustrate an indifferent expression, because that is what Joaquin Phoenix transmits when he is in that role.

The Last of the Mohicans Main Poster

This one is actually quite interesting. When I finished the movie The Last of the Mohicans, I liked it so much that I decided to illustrate the two main characters while listening to the soundtrack for five hours, and after that I made my own research about the French and Indian War.

Mafer

I made this illustration without much on my mind, but after I finished, my parents said it looked exactly like my cousin Mafer, and indeed, it did.

WHY ART CONSERVATION

Four Commitments

DECODE CULTURES

Reading iconography as a language of belief, trade, and power across civilizations.

APPRECIATE TECHNIQUE

Studying pigment, chiaroscuro, and brushwork as evidence of material history.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Situating works within patronage, politics, and the economies that made them possible.

INSPIRE SCHOLARSHIP

Contributing fresh, evidence-led readings rather than repeating settled consensus.

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY

"Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul."

— Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

CLOSE LOOKING

Interrogating the canvas before the caption.

CONTEXTUAL RIGOUR

Anchoring interpretation in archive and patronage record.

OPEN DEBATE

Treating attribution and meaning as contested, not settled.

INTERACTIVE ASSESSMENT

AI Mock Interview

"Simulated academic interview video evaluating key questions on material conservation, historical methodologies, and research drive."

My reflection:

I am naturally drawn into arts and history. I have always been curious about everything that is behind it. I like all the focus that it requires, specifically when I draw and when I figure skate, but that also implies that I can be very perfectionist most of the time, specially because of how much it requires to be "perfect" — and I like that. I chose art restauration as the career I want to pursue since I was in third of secundary, because I really wanted something that involved both things. I really agree when I reflected about how I should start organizing my actual portfolio with all of my extracurriculares, art paints and community service, and I realized that I am able of doing that because of how I currently balance my sport with my scholive and my long term goals, and I will keep in mind what the interview said as a tip for me: "keep it simple".

Video Recording: Nicole Rivera Lara • Mock Interview Session

TARGET UNIVERSITIES

Lincoln University

First Choice

Conservation of Cultural Heritage and Material Restoration

University of the Arts London

Alternative

History of Art & Conservation

Oxford

Alternative

History of Art