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.

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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.

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“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.

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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