Ash In The Trade Winds

Diana Al-Hadid’s exhibition “Ash In The Trade Winds”  was on view in Gallery 2 at the Momentary from March 5th to June 13th in 2021. This exhibit consisted of 10 sculptures, wall panels, and drawings. When it comes to Al-Hadid’s works I tend to be more drawn to her sculptures. I just find them to be so ethereal and beautiful. However, in this collection I think my favorite piece has to be one of her wall panels. The piece itself is untitled. I love how colorful it is. Sometimes when you have so many colors in one piece it can make things look muddy or cause the piece to lose clarity. In this piece the abundance of color actually adds to the piece. To me it looks like a mountain that's split between the seasons of winter and fall. Another favorite piece of mine is the sculpture “Self Delusions”. I always enjoy Hadid’s pieces that incorporate the human form. Something about the way the positive and negative space work together to create a form that looks as if it's slowly melting away is captivating. Another piece that is very well done has the same name as the exhibit. The piece “Ash In The Trade Winds” is also a wall panel. Unlike the untitled piece mentioned earlier, this piece is composed of monochrome and metallic tones. There is a very smooth gradient of black to white, and the highlights of gold and bronze really elevate the artwork. It makes me think of fire, or a battle between good and evil. There are several other amazing pieces in this collection, all of which show Al-Hadid’s wide range of talent.

Untitled:

Self Delusions:

Ash In The Trade Winds