Diana Orving
Becoming
Textile sculpture
2022
I use form and movement to both express and to understand states of mind, the dynamics of relationships, mental and physical processes. It becomes a mean to immerse myself in something that I don’t know how to express in any other way.
The female body, and motherhood has been a theme of my work since the birth of my first child, in 2020.
My most recent works in the exhibition ”Introspection” at Tempesta Gallery, Milan, was made 2022, during all stages of pregnancy and the first months after giving birth to my second child.
What I wanted to express was my emotions and sensations in the ultimate form of intimacy and loss of control. I experienced that there is knowledge in your body that goes beyond what you could intellectually comprehend.
I would describe my process as a form of co creation between my own bodily and mental transformation and the work that came to life through my fingers.
The central sculpture of the exhibition, titled ”Becoming” resembles a large placenta, the tree of life that all comes from, embodying the link between mother and child. A symbol of the chain of generations connecting the past with the present and the future. It is made in a variety of jute, from light see-through weave to dense and stiff qualities of the biodegradable textile. The shape of the human placenta, that gives life to the growing human body, is also the shape of the trees that give life to us all, the lung and earth connector of the earth body. The works are deeply personal, introspective and extrovert at the same time.
The creation process is a journey of exploration for me and improvisation and intuition are central aspects of my artistic process. I feel that there is an on-going dialogue between me and my works. I observe them as they grow and they look back at me and ask me questions that I keep trying to respond.
