Diane Dal-Pra. No Room for Emptiness
MASSIMODECARLO, Milano
From February 24th until March 22nd, 2025
A child of the ’90s, Diane Dal-Pra now lives and works in Paris, where she creates evocative paintings that examine the rituals surrounding our material possessions. Deeply superstitious by nature, her artwork explores the extent to which the objects we accumulate shape our identities and inner equilibrium, capturing the paradox of materiality—while possessions have the power to consume us, they also define and structure our lives.
Her work work has been featured in prestigious collections worldwide, including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, HEM Museum in Foshan, Yuz Museum in Shanghai, Louis Vuitton Foundation and Fondation Lafayette Anticipations in Paris, and ICA Miami, and today Diane comes to MASSIMODECARLO, Milano.
Dal-Pra’s canvases, which are large in scale, typically feature sculptural figures imbued with a monolithic presence, composed of an intricate interplay of objects and striking bodily forms which she portrays. Her choice of medium is oil paint, and she enhances the depth and volume of these structures, while using a delicate colour palette and translucent textiles to offer a sense of weightlessness; and it’s this careful balance of solidity and fluidity that creates a harmonious and pleasing visual equilibrium.
In the current show, the work of her introspective journey become open windows to latent states, memories, and fragmented perceptions, as No Room for Emptiness takes hold in cavities where emptiness interacts with matter and intimacy.
We witness her signature traits too; bridging the past and present, combining a modern aesthetic with a timeless quality, her figures nod to the elevated status of classical sculptures, reflecting her appreciation for the history of oil painting, and Renaissance masters. A fixed source of inspiration for Dal-Pra, she echos their mastery of perspective, anatomy, and light, while capturing great detail, moments of contemplation, and psychological depth that behold a timeless resonance.
For further information visit massimodecarlo.com.
