About My Work

The following is an updated version of Diane Gabriel's statement on her previous website. For additional information, see Diane’s biography, résumé, and Burlington City Arts Curator Heather Ferrell’s biography written for the posthumous exhibition of Diane’s work, Pivotal Moments, in 2021.

I utilize drawing, sculpture, photographs, and prints to make small, intimate pieces that carry a large emotional punch. Our world is a panoply of contrasts, consisting of both glorious wonders and deadly evil.

Like Alice In Wonderland, I often play with scale — things that are small become large, and things that are large become small. The cozy size of many of my pieces invite viewers to look closely at the work in order to receive its meaning. This interaction and dialog with the viewer is an important aspect of the work.

I aim for my work to be mysterious, somewhat unsettling, sometimes even funny in perplexing ways. The work is most successful when it conveys multiple emotions as a way to address the complexity of life. Seldom does one feel just one way. Sentience seems to be made up of a mixture of things. I want the work to reflect that which I experience as true.

Making art is the most meaningful way I interact with the world around me.