Artwork Analysis: ‘The Blue Butterfly’s Dream’ Diana Malivani’s tender and complex representation of the female mind is sincere and empowering in her ability to reflect a thought provoking and powerful combination of womanhood. Malivani herself said that “one of the most difficult goals of artists depicting the moods of the woman’s heart on canvas is to convey their force, depth, and meaning in abstract compositions”; certainly, this is a goal that the artist resolutely challenges herself to exceed, as she shows strength and aspiration within the narrative of each of her subjects. Her fervent attitude towards these depictions creates cerebral ties with the philosophical thoughts of Frida Kahlo, as both artists transpose a clear and communicative expression of their subjects integral thoughts, balanced with recurring motifs that encompass their gentle femininity - for Kahlo this is found in the form of flowers, while Malivani frequently includes butterflies in her works, particularly in her collection entitled The Blue Butterfly’s Dream. The psychological depth of the figures that Malivani paints suggest connections with James McNeill Whistler and Leonardo da Vinci. Pieces such as Dying in the Rain and Lily convey an intellectual element through the determined gaze held by the subject. These works impeccably combine Realism with Abstraction, as the execution contains both elements of Renaissance techniques, as well as a sense of Abstract Expressionist vigour in the brushwork, which aligns Malivani with artists, such as Arshile Gorky, through the use of strong pigment and avant garde form.
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