About The Artist
Diana and her whimsical nature
Diana Rosa Pupo Latourt was born on June 24th, 1971 in Holguin, Cuba. The second largest city in the island, a city rich in culture, painted with a landscape of sugar cane fields and home to several famed tropical beaches. Diana comes from a family of musicians; her childhood was spent in a festive atmosphere surrounded by an abundance of creative energies. Diana was always fascinated by art, the creative process and all forms of expressions. Early on she enrolled in after school programs, embarking her on a journey of learning exploration through the fine and performing arts. Diana studied Art History at the Oriente University in Santiago de Cuba (1989-1994) and worked during seven years at the Contemporary Art Center in Holguin as a curator.
In 2001 Diana made the arduous journey away from her family and the island of Cuba and relocated to the Toronto, Ontario Canada area, where she quickly found work at the Royal Ontario Museum. After about a year of acclimating to her new surroundings, she once again resumed her creative career.
Diana’s paintings start with a number of sketches on paper. A sketch is selected and then drawn full size onto canvas. Over the years, Diana has developed a unique technique using sharp brush strokes, palette knives, contrasting textures, a variety of acrylic mediums and multiple layers of her very distinctive and rich color palette to help create the complex nature of her paintings. Diana’s works include abstracts, objects, elements and floral. The forms of which are precisely rendered, yet still unreal, surreal, fixed like symbols or fantastic motifs.
Diana’s paintings are known for her use of rich exoticism of tropical vegetation, images that reflect from her memories of her Cuban experience. Imagery from the source of all imaginary are executed with amazing sophistication and concentrated into monumental emblems and effects of pure color, independent natural appearances on a radical simplification of forms. Her work has come to possess a freedom of movement, spontaneity and gentleness inspired by the color of the Fauves (Henri Matisse) and the archetypes of the Naïve art (Henri Rousseau). Elements of Cubist and Surrealist art seem blended, offering a refreshing and youthful version of the abstract, rich in modern symbolism combined with many elegant touches of the classical school.
The whimsical nature of her personality is present in her tropical vegetation and is also evident in the sophistication of her suave abstract composition. By concentrating on the interactions between the visual elements of forms, color and textures, her work acquires its abstract aesthetics.
Diana’s work is strongly influenced by her origins, and her memories of the small village near the ocean where she spent her youth. Her works contain references to symbols of identification, and there is a spiritual message conveyed by the colors she chooses, the elements she employs including the umbrella, the family, the fish, the bird, musical instruments and the four universal elements. Her treatment of her symbols creates a feeling of stability and serenity. Her painting is much like an epic poem where human life is in harmony with nature.
Diana Rosa is showing her work in ArtExpo New York and The Artist Project, Toronto and Ottawa Art Expo every year and her work is gaining in popularity and success. Also she has received numerous awards and her work is contained in many collections throughout the world.
One of the virtues of Diana is the manner in which she portrays nature, over and over again, in its physical and spiritual variegation, at the same time illuminated and ochre, with an expressive level detail that to the most observant might reveal the equal distance between the technical and stylistic values and the aesthetic freedom promoted by contemporary vanguard movements.
Diana’s happy soul, beautiful and contagious smile, makes her a favorite among fellow artists. She’s humble, deep spirited and bursting with creative energy, a joy to be around. Bursting with talent, full of passion and highly motivated, her art continues to develop and her works continue to amaze her collectors and fans alike.
We are excited and anxiously looking forward to her upcoming works. Her paintings are found in many private and corporate collections throughout North America, Europe and the Caribbean. Diana’s work has been shown in a number of major juried exhibitions.
Cid Mendez
Art advisor (New Jersey)
May, 2008
www.dianaartist.ca