Diane Katsiaficas

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Diane Katsiaficas
Born(1947-11-23)November 23, 1947
El Paso, Texas
OccupationArtist

Diane Katsiaficas (El Paso, Texas, 23 November 1947) is an American visual artist of Greek heritage. [1] [2] Her work ranges from small journal drawings and paintings to large-scale installations and has been shown throughout the United States and Europe. She is a professor emerita in the Art Department at the University of Minnesota. [3] [4]

Contents

Early life and education

Diane Katsiaficas grew up with the dichotomy of being in the stability of a large Greek-American family but constantly moving because of military life. By the time she graduated high school, she had attended more than twenty schools. It is the transiency that informed her to become an artist but not before pursuing a career in chemistry. Katsiaficas received a BA degree in chemistry from Smith College in 1968, then worked in a lab. In 1974, she received an MAT degree in art education from the University of Washington, Seattle, [4] followed by an MFA in Painting in 1976. [5] [1] Even though moving from chemistry to art, chemistry did had an influence on her early work. [6]

Artwork

Katsiaficas is an artist deeply engaged in visual storytelling. Her work has long been inspired by the visual traditions of the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly those rooted in Greek culture, early Christian art, and Byzantine iconography. She creates narratives that span from intricate, small-scale drawings to expansive, immersive installations, employing a diverse range of methods and tools, including digital image laser etching and repurposing tin cans through precise cutting techniques. [7]

Katsiaficas has described herself as a visual storyteller, drawn to narratives and places that resonate with social conscience and responsible practice. [3] For example, her ceramic and wood installation "Neighbors" is in the lobby of East Precinct building of the Seattle Police Department [8] and was part of the discussion around the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ)'s fate of public art during the Capitol Hill Organized Protest. [9]

Exhibitions

Her exhibitions include: [10]

Selected public collections

Awards

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References

  1. 1 2 "The American College of Greece: ACG ART". Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2011-04-22.
  2. ↑ The 9th International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition
  3. 1 2 "Diane Katsiaficas". College of Liberal Arts. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Works – Diane Katsiaficas – People – Tacoma". tacoma.emuseum.com. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
  5. ↑ "Artist Collection".
  6. ↑ Guenther, Bruce (1983). 50 Northwest Artists: A Critical Selection of Painters and Sculptors Working in the Pacific Northwest. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. pp. 62–63. ISBN   087701289X.
  7. 1 2 "Fulbright Alumni Art Series" (PDF). fulbright.gr. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  8. ↑ "Neighbors". seattlearts.emuseum.com. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
  9. ↑ "Artist hopeful, but understanding if protesters 'need to destroy' East Precinct art". MyNorthwest.com. 2020-06-17. Retrieved 2023-01-06.
  10. ↑ Fine Art TV Diane Katsiaficas Uncovered. Video, February 13, 2011
  11. ↑ "Diane Katsiaficas – Artists – eMuseum".
  12. ↑ walkerart.org https://walkerart.org/collections/artists/diane-katsiaficas . Retrieved 2025-01-07.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. 1 2 "Meet the Fellows". McKnight Foundation. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
  14. ↑ "MCKNIGHT VISUAL ARTISTS" (PDF). mcad.edu. 16 August 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2025.

Selected bibliography

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