Diane Cherr
Diane Cherr is a printmaker and painter from New York City now residing in Westchester County. Women’s empowerment, personal traditions and interpretations of stories and legends are prominent themes in her work. Her prints and other works pull from personal histories, mementos and storytelling. Works feature intriguing, well-informed interpretations of iconography and symbology, joyously expressed as playful images with important ties to her heritage.
Her portfolio also includes collages and drawings, inspired by patterns, narrative and whimsy. Colorful works are created in small editions and as unique prints. She introduces and elevates items from her family, such as vintage fashion accessories, into universal symbols of femininity in combination with objects, including hamsas, lunar cycles, water and pomegranates, long established symbols associated with Jewish heritage, traditions and mysticism. Diane often looks to Judaic scholars and women of the Bible and Torah, as she creates her art. She is greatly influenced by quilt motifs and their rich storytelling history.
I am always excited by the origin of the idea that becomes a new print or painting. My process as an artist is filled with passion and energy. Much of the art I create is filled with rich narratives, including well informed interpretations of stories and personal traditions, with influences drawn from oral histories, quilt making and my personal heritage. How enriching to reimagine themes such as women’s empowerment, creation legends and my ancestry through color, pattern and dynamic compositions, often kaleidoscopic or quiltlike. I enjoy creating magic through juxtapositions and the unexpected in my paintings and prints. Working predominantly on paper, I create dynamic joyful images, combining symbols of femininity, drawn from personal objects. Imagery can include and combine: objects of everyday life, vintage fashion accessories or flora and Judaic symbols such as water, pomegranates and candles. Everything can be reinterpreted using unexpected combinations of color, scale or pattern to create distinctive artwork. The power and uniqueness of my art come together in the individuality of each piece.