Diane Dal-Pra

Diane Dal-Pra makes large-scale paintings, applying oil on linen to craft hazy still-life compositions. The female figure is often inserted into these tableaux, always partly hidden or obscured by neighbouring objects. Referencing Dal-Pra’s personal experiences of insomnia, her canvases capture moments of "private ceremony" between the artist and her belongings— with these objects functioning as sources of comfort or intrigue during sleepless nights. This personal context brings a nuanced intimacy to these still life paintings, breathing fresh air into this classical approach. The flesh of Dal-Pra’s figures is somewhat Cubist in style, bodies appear flat, sculptural but sensuous, like sculptures that have awoken from a deep slumber. This fluidity between inanimate and animate beings speaks to Dal-Pra’s wider interest in the relationship between people and objects as she continues to examine what our possessions convey about us as individuals and how they collectively shape our environments.