Diane Dal-Pra

Diane Dal-Pra was born in 1991 in Périgueux. She lives and works in Paris. Dal-Pra's paintings delve into the rituals associated with and sustained by the objects we collect throughout our lives. By nature, she is superstitious, questioning the degree to which our material possessions influence our inner equilibrium and define our identities. In her body of work, the artist highlights the dual nature of our possessions: while they have the potential to engulf us, they also shape our habits and selves. Working primarily on large canvases, Dal-Pra imbues her sculptural figures with a monolithic presence, constructed from an array of objects and monumental bodily forms. Her choice of oil paint further enhances the amalgamated forms, as oil paints naturally add depth and volume. However, her subtle and tonal colour palette, coupled with her manipulation of translucency in textiles, along with smooth, imperceptible brushwork and intricate texture descriptions, counterbalances the weightiness of the forms, restoring the works to a state of perfect equilibrium and harmony. The paintings exhibit a decidedly modern aesthetic and choice of objects while retaining a timeless quality. The figures, elevated to the status of Classical statues, and the artist's preferred medium of oil, used with technical precision, establish a connection to the history of oil painting and the Renaissance painters whom Dal-Pra cites as significant influences. By presenting works finely balanced on multiple levels, Dal-Pra encourages viewers to derive their own interpretations from the juxtapositions within the narrative of the artwork. Dal-Pra’s work is included in the collections of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington; HEM Museum, Foshan; the Yuz Museum, Shanghai; the Louis Vuitton Foundation, Paris; the Fondation Lafayette Anticipations, Paris and the ICA Miami, Miami.