10 Questions with Catarina Diaz

Catarina Diaz is a London-based artist who has become an established figure in the art world, having received multiple awards and recognition from the President of Portugal for her exceptional talent. Her work has been represented internationally in digital installations, exhibitions, museums, and art fairs, including prestigious venues such as the Saatchi Gallery, The Design District, and W1Curates in London, the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, Times Square and various art events in New York, Lisbon, Brussels, Barcelona, Milan and Rome. Her work has even been featured on television shows and in publications such as Artist Talk Magazine, The Flux Review, House & Garden, The World of Interiors, Vanity Fair, Tatler, the Japanese 365Art+, and Vogue.

Catarina's creative process is rooted in her unique approach that stems from her own creativity, but it ultimately allows for someone else's imaginative creativity to come to life. Collaborating with other artists, designers, filmmakers, and composers on various projects, she creates minimalist collages that inspire viewers to search for a deeper meaning and embrace the beauty of imperfection, duality, and transcendent existence. Her art envelopes the senses slowly, calling for them in subtle but exquisite ways, and her vibrant colour palette captures the essence of the feminine universe.

The storytelling in her pieces alludes to the possibility of nature restoring tranquillity to the chaos of the world, framing issues related to the rescue of feminine power and identity and humanity in general. Catarina's work has been described by BBC art critic Maeve Doyle as "very, very transcendent pieces mixing realism with naturalism and spirituality." Her pieces evoke contemplation and a return to blissful memories, making them the start of a cathartic and re-empowering journey of the self.

Catarina's inspirations are drawn from her memories and experiences of past lives revisited by her present self, particularly from her young childhood in Africa. These experiences have shaped her art, which serves as a tool for relief from the pressures of the world. By inviting viewers to engage in contemplation and encouraging them to embrace their own unique perspectives, Catarina's work fosters a sense of connection to something greater than oneself. Each piece is a reminder that, despite the chaos and uncertainty of life, there is beauty to be found in every moment and that the journey of self-discovery is one of healing and growth.

In addition to her artistic pursuits, Catarina has had an accomplished career in education, public relations, and international relations. However, she has always been creating and was ultimately inspired by London's cosmopolitan life and art scene to embrace her artistic purpose. Her process of working with her own creativity, which is completed in the viewer's imaginative creativity, is a testament to her unique approach to art, and her work challenges viewers to find their inner beauty and embark on their own creative journeys.

www.catarinadiaz.com | @catarina_diaz_

ARTIST STATEMENT

“My work explores the issues of female identity in contemporary times. The search for our true identity and the reconnection to nature and essence juxtaposed with urban life and what it represents in our life. My artistic expression is, thus, a construction of short visual narratives about the feminine universe and its dialogue with the empowering and nurturing wild nature. A frame that zooms in on issues related to the rescue of feminine power and identity, particularly, and of humanity, in general. These short stories are equally inspired by my childhood memories and the "tales of the jungle" narrated by my grandparents, always with a surrealist and colourful twist.

I am a self-taught exploratory artist, not restrained by conventions or formal ways of interpreting the world. Instead, I relish exploring various mediums, techniques, and methods according to my inspiration.

I enjoy experimenting and letting the artistic process flow freely and intuitively. I love creating thematic series, all meaningfully brought together by my admiration for the feminine figure and wild nature. Composing primarily on paper and canvas, I particularly enjoy using oil sticks and acrylics in an abstract style, combining them in compositions of analogue collage.

My art is autobiographical. Still, it is the expression of a more mature experience of the world and a more profound reflection on the meaning of life itself, a sharing with which I intend to touch the viewer so that they can see themselves and become empowered by their own light.

As an artist, I am, thus, on a journey to unveil the hidden treasures of feminine identity and reconnect them with the wild nature that nurtures us. My artistic expression is an exploration of the power of storytelling, where each visual narrative represents a fragment of the feminine universe. I am not bound by traditional forms or techniques but rather driven by the inspiration of the moment, allowing my creations to flow freely and intuitively.

Through my art, I invite you to step into a transcendental representation of life, where childhood memories and surrealist twists intertwine to create a colourful and blissful world.”

— Catarina Diaz

INTERVIEW

First of all, when and how did you start getting involved with visual arts?

I have drawn and painted since ever, inspired by my very artistic family. I spent my early infancy in Africa, and when I moved to Portugal at the age of five, my mother, a painter and my very first reference in art, coloured my early memories with a vibrant colour palette of African tones. The deep orange sunsets, the vibrant pink flamingos, and the magenta of the bougainvillaea were burnt into my imagination.
As a young child, I started exploring different mediums such as charcoal drawing, watercolour, pastel, oil pastel, acrylics, and other techniques on paper, canvas, wood, and ceramics, which made me go beyond what I knew and eventually collaborate with other artists to become part of my practice.
After a career in Teaching, PR, and International Relations in Portugal, alongside which I always created, I was ultimately inspired to embrace my artistic purpose by London's cosmopolitan life and art scene.
A seminal masterclass with Royal Academician artist David Mach a few years ago, opened analogue collage and mixed media to me in a completely unexpected way, and I have never stopped creating since.

What, for you, is the most enjoyable part of your art?

Lately, I have been most enjoying collaborating with other creatives and creating my animated digital pieces, as it is seeing them transformed into Art Wear and Home Design as the result of my collaboration with Art Galleries and Designers. I'm expanding these collaborations in London and abroad.
Working in my studio and creating my original works has always been a precious time for me. I cherish seeing my table full of clippings of magazines and bringing them together in a composition, as it flows freely without being restrained by conventions or formal ways to interpret the world.
Although I also treasure researching, cutting, glueing, and experimenting with new materials and painting techniques, the transformative composition process is magical to me.

Bold, Analogue collage, mixed media, 32x32 cm, 2022 © Catarina Diaz

Joy, Analogue collage, mixed media, 57x48 cm, 2021 © Catarina Diaz

Let's talk about your collages. Can you explain what your idea is and how you work on it?

My collages are conceived to capture inner beauty and inspire viewers to search for deeper meaning. I use a minimalist analogue approach to create my pieces, which allows me to create both simple and complex works simultaneously.
I love creating thematic series, always using a vibrant colour palette, all meaningfully brought together by my admiration for the feminine figure, in search of my identity and the healing wild nature motifs that enable this reconnection with the self. My works express, thus, contemplation and a return to memories of more serene times as the start of a self-healing journey. It starts with my love of mixing various media, such as oil sticks and acrylics on paper and canvas, combining them with analogue collage.
The originals I exhibit and sell to art collectors are analogue collages of fine art Giclée or Somerset Velvet paper, whose lush texture enables me to mix different mediums such as oil bars, acrylics, pigment ink, gold leaf, and resin on gesso-primed canvas. I also love the contrast created by the restored antique frames used on my bold pieces.
As I cherish exploring new techniques and materials on my originals, I'll soon release a new collection with distinctive features that have always been part of my artistic identity but will now require a newly enriched uniqueness.
As mentioned, my collaboration with other creatives is bringing my concept to life in extraordinary ways through the animation of my works.

Where do you find inspiration for your work, and what is your creative process like?

I find inspiration for my work in many places - from my vibrant and colourful early-life recollections in Africa to my devotion to the feminine universe in fashion and photography and my perception of London's cosmopolitan life. Moreover, as my creative process involves collaborating with other creatives, they also inspire me to bring my vision to life.
Actually, my work is a construction of short visual narratives about the feminine universe and its dialogue with the empowering and nurturing wild nature. A frame that zooms in on issues related to the rescue of feminine power and identity, particularly, and of humanity, in general.
These short stories are equally inspired by my childhood memories and the "tales of the jungle" narrated by my grandparents, always surrealist and colourful.
The whole creative process is quite long, starting from researching fashion, photography, and wildlife magazines and books, taking inspiration from old films, documentaries, art and literature, and anything that may catch my attention in a particular theme in my daily life and travelling.

Faith, Analogue collage, mixed media, 65x65 cm, 2023 © Catarina Diaz

Why do you use this visual language? And how has it evolved over the years?

My visual language aims to envelop the senses slowly, calling them in subtle but exquisite ways. Over the years, it has evolved to reflect my artistic purpose and the inspiration I draw from my surroundings and inner journey, representing my reflection on life, epiphanies, insights, acceptance of darkness, search for light and bliss, and my aspirations.
I want to inspire others to undertake their ever-evolving inner journey, always reinviting themselves and discovering their true identity and essence.
By inviting viewers to contemplate and encouraging them to embrace their unique perspectives, my work fosters a sense of connection to something greater than oneself. Each piece is a reminder that, despite the chaos and uncertainty of life, there is beauty to be found in every moment and that the journey of self-discovery is one of healing and growth.

What do you hope that the public takes away from your work?

I hope the public takes away from my work a sense of reconnection with nature and themselves and a renewed appreciation for feminine empowerment and identity. I want my art to inspire people to look deeper, to find that rare centre inside themselves that allows them to embrace beauty freely in all its forms.

I see, Fine art pigment print under acrylic glass, 45x45 cm, 2023 © Catarina Diaz

Resilience in Bloom, Analogue collage, mixed media, 65x65 cm, 2023 © Catarina Diaz

Your work has a very recognizable style, characterized by bold colours and female subjects. How did you come up with this style? And how do you achieve it?

My recognizable style is characterized by bold contrasts, vivid colours and my interpretation of the female subject. I created this style to inspire viewers to reconnect with the nurturing wild and exotic nature, embracing their inner beauty, imperfections and essence. I achieve this style by using a minimalist analogue approach, which allows me to create simple yet powerful pieces.
B.B.C. art critic and curator Maeve Doyle described my work as "very, very transcendent pieces that mix realism with spirituality and surrealism". And it is indeed difficult to explain what moves me to create or how it happens in my mind. I am blessed with a creative and curious mind that enjoys experimenting and letting the artistic process flow freely and intuitively.
New York Golden Age/early Pop Art artists like Andy Warhol, the Young Artists Movement and British Pop Art like Peter Blake, photographers like Cecil Beaton (fashion) and Frans Lanting (National Geographic) are essential references for my work.
But my major reference is definitely Peter Blake. I find his work most joyful and inventive, bringing a message of optimism and cheerfulness to overcome hard times.
His late compositions inspire me to be authentic, to break the rules and follow my inspiration, sharing a message of blissfulness with the world.

What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future in terms of new projects?

Currently, I'm working on several projects with my galleries in London, New York, Paris, Lisbon, and Milan and with other artists, designers, filmmakers, and composers like Angel London, Joana Sá Cabanelas, Naeem Mahmood, and Pedro Janela. I'm excited to continue collaborating with them and expand my reach globally.
I'm finishing a collection commissioned for the release of a British film later this year. This project will involve an art exhibition at the premiere of the film and the launching of a bespoke collection of animated pieces. The collaboration is evolving and will include, in the near future, the participation in Naeem Mahmood's next film, an artistic documentary, and other exciting projects merging art, cinema, and music.
I am currently working on private commissions in collaboration with interior designers, and I'll be launching a new art & interior design partnership with Angel London, which will include a bespoke collaborative collection.
Meanwhile, I am working with the Rare Art Gallery in London and preparing a new collection to exhibit at my upcoming exhibitions.
This year I am also expanding my studio and working with my team mentored by the art curator Rodrigo Chaveiro to create and release new collections of my NFTS.

Do you work with NFTs and Crypto art as well? And what are your thoughts on this subject?

Yes, I do work with NFTs and Crypto art. This is an exciting new opportunity to reach a wider audience and explore new possibilities in digital art.
I launched my first collection last March with Voice H.Q. in New York, in collaboration with the London Artist Work Space, for their digital exhibition.
I've also been exhibiting my animated and still pieces in digital, immersive, and V.R. exhibitions with my Portuguese and Italian Residencies with Sao Rafael Galleries and MADS Art Gallery in Lisbon, Milan, Fuerteventura, Barcelona (Casa Mila), Rome, and the multiverse.
After launching my first collection with The Artist Work Space and Voice W.Q., I am now releasing all my work as NFTs and physical artworks. But the concept behind my animated pieces is rooted in my previous analogue work.
I plan to continue exploring the complexities and dualities of the human experience organically and celebrating the search for inner beauty in my minimalist collages. Still, my artistic process is now enriched by collaborating with other creatives and film and music producers.
This synergy results in an ethereal type of animation. Free from musical and film conventions, the soundscapes and movement accompanying these pieces focus on providing spacial and emotional references to the listener, providing more proximity to the artwork in a carefully crafted stereo environment.
These environments are deepened with the sounds of nature, cultural motifs, and esoteric acoustic techniques such as utilizing 'Verdi's A', a technique that uses the tuning of 432Hz, a frequency theorized to be mathematically consistent with the universe, to instill calm and peace within the listener.

Finally, do you have any upcoming shows or collaborations you are looking forward to?

I have several current and upcoming shows and collaborations that I'm really looking forward to. I'll be exhibiting at the Fresh Art Fair in September, the Start Art Fair at the Saatchi Gallery with Sao Rafael Galleries, the Flux Exhibition in November and December, and in Times Square, New York, on New Year's Eve. My work will also be featured in The Flux Review Magazine and the Sao Rafael Galleries and Artist Talk Magazine artbooks.
Finally, I'll be working more closely with the Flux, representing me in exhibitions, artist placements, and a Collectors Club, launching my Art Wear Collection in collaboration with Sao Rafael Galleries.
Next year these collaborations will include representation in exhibitions and art fairs in London, New York, Miami, Tokyo, Venice, Vienna, Monaco, and Dubai.
I'm excited to share my work with more people and collaborate with creatives around the world. Follow @catarina_diaz_ for my latest news!

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.

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