Artist of the Month is a new program at Brushwood Center featuring artists who align with Brushwood Center’s mission and explores themes of health, equity and justice, nature and the environment. Each month we feature an artist who will:
- Display their work at Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods
- Teach a Create and Sip Workshop in their area of expertise
- Demonstrate their work at an Open Art Workshop
Meet Diana Noh
Diana Noh is an interdisciplinary artist working with photography, fiber, and installation. Her practice celebrates reconstructions of distressed photographs of architectural spaces and landscapes, exploring themes of trauma embedded in her family relationships and cultural in-betweenness.
Diana has exhibited pieces in Asia, North America, and Europe, at venues including Space HNH in Seoul, South Korea; Griffin Museum in Winchester, MA; Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, IL; The Arts Council in Fayetteville, NC; Eastern Market in Detroit, MI; Editart in Geneva, Switzerland; The Art Center Highland Park in Highland Park, IL; Hudson Valley MOCA in Peekskill, NY; Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum in Bloomfield Hills, MI. Her work is collected in the collections of Jennifer and Dan Gilbert, Kyungil University, and numerous Private Collections.
Diana currently resides in Chicago, IL. She holds a B.F.A. from Kyungil University (South Korea) and earned an M.F.A. at Cranbrook Academy of Art (Bloomfield Hills, MI).
Diana’s Artist Statement
“I reconstruct distressed photographs of abandoned spaces and landscapes to explore the trauma of growing up between cultures. I identify with buildings that are hidden but accessible; they stand in for my body and neglected feelings. Born American and raised in a Korean household, the emotional burden of being raised between two different cultures has left me angry, resentful, guilty and confused. I seek to understand my internal fracture through a process of destroying and rebuilding large-scale photographs. I physically break down my imagery, incorporating tearing, burning, stitching, sewing, restoring and breaking parts to visualize my recovery process. These images become a stand-in for my body. I grapple with the tension of materials, construct a space primarily using canvas paper that lays its schema somewhere between two and three dimensions. I employ a variety of stitching methods to introduce chance into the work. Hand-stitching allows me to make intricate but slow stitches; machine-sewing allows me to utilize time but encroaches my authority. I build new layers of skin above my scars. They become my own space to rest, the only space which allows me to intentionally sink into selfishness.
Image: 흥(興), 2024 by Diana Noh
Media: Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle canvas
Artist of the Month Events
April 26 | 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Open Art Workshop with Diana Noh
Open Art Workshop is open to anyone who wants to make something in any area of visual arts and crafts, from the experienced artist looking for a community of others to work with, to the complete novice who just wants to try something out in a low pressure environment, or the family looking for a fun kids’ activity to fill their afternoon – this workshop is for you!
Image: Rapport by Diana Noh
Media: Archival pigment print on Moab paper
May 14 | 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Create & Sip – Natural Dyes with Invasive Species
Create & Sip is a monthly workshop hosted at Brushwood Center where participants can explore fun projects using supplies and tools from the Brushwood Art Supply Exchange, BASE. It’s an opportunity to get creative, try something new, and enjoy the company of fellow art enthusiasts in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.
Katelyn Patton, who will teach us to make Natural Dyes with Invasive Species. For a sneak peek of this project, visit Brushwood’s Open Art Workshop on Saturday, March 29 where Katelyn will be demonstrating from 10-4 pm. You can also see Katelyn’s work displayed in the Brushwood Center Gallery from March 29 – April 24.
Image: 자화상, 2024 by Diana Noh. Media: Archival pigment print
