Art Lessons - Diana Al-Hadid

             Art is big part of me. I am a photographer. I received my MA in studio art last year. I am currently working on my MA in Art Market: Principles and Practices from The Fashion Institute of Technology. The F.I.T. program is amazing. I am learning about a lot of current artists that I otherwise would not have encountered because of my classmates and professors. Last week, I was introduced to Diana Al-Hadid and I was blown away.

            Diana Al-Hadid is a Syrian-born contemporary artist who lives and creates in New York. I can only describer her work as architectural sculpture. Al-Hadid uses materials such as plaster, wood, wax and fiberglass to create these unusual interpretations of architecture. Her work has included skyscrapers, cathedrals and towers. They often seem unfinished, which can lead the viewer to believe they are either in the process of being built or they have just been destroyed. There is an almost apocalyptical feel to her work.

Gradiva's Fourth Wall2011
steel, polymer gypsum, wood, fiberglass, paint
183.5 x 190.75 x 132 in.

 Self-Melt2008
polymer gypsum, steel, polystyrene, fiberglass,

 cardboard, wax, paint
58 x 56 x 75 in.

          Her drawings relate to her sculpture and continue to provide viewers with the sense that there is something dark and destructive in them, yet there is a sense of energy and passion in each one. There is movement, texture and pattern on such a large scale. I cannot wait to see them in person to truly experience the work.

Untitled2011
charcoal, watercolor, conte, pastel on vellum
41.5 x 54.5 in.(105.4 x 138.4 cm)

           At just 30 years old, Diana Al-Hadid has an impressive list of previous and current exhibitions, awards and mentions in the press. It is easy to understand why.