Thursday Salute to Originals: Haunted Architecture
Syrian-American sculptor Diana Al-Hadid creates ghostly architectural references that melt away into bodily forms.
Al-Hadid is an artist known for creating haunting, organic pieces inspired by well-known archaeological finds. From bronze, steel, and concrete, the sculptor forms disheveled columns, great walls and arcing aqueducts that melt away into human forms.
The sculptor is also known to venture into experimental media like beeswax, fiberglass, and foam. The effect is a free-standing sculpture that looks as if it is actively falling into decay — complete with elegant and ghostly limbs dripping downward.
Al-Hadid seeks to create an original technique that is as rebellious as renaissance-era works of the old world. She describes her drippy method as “somewhere between Fresco and tapestry,” referencing both the physical textures typical of ancient Fresco-style murals.
“For me to get a sculpture to lift off the floor…that’s the first way to rebel,” said Al-Hadid in an interview with Art21.
This Thursday, we’re saluting Diana Al-Hadid and her Fresco-styled, three-dimensional tapestries. Haunting, captivating and emotional, each architectural piece borrows several references from old-world creations while reinventing them in a rebellious way.
The artist has a live exhibition on display at Frist Art Museum and Cheekwood Estate&Gardens in Nashville. You can view more sculptural work on their website and Instagram.
Sources: Diana Al-Hadid, This is Colossal, Art Net