Collage Artist Giana De Dier

Giana De Dier

Through imagery from across the African diaspora, Giana examines heritage and memory using different mediums in her work. She reframes old beliefs and reimagines her Caribbean ancestry in pieces that are by turns striking and subtle, sombre and joyful.

Past: What do you wish you knew in your 20s?

I wish I trusted myself more and didn't give into others' expectations of who I should be or what I should be doing. Part of me felt there was a specific blueprint to follow that would guarantee a certain level of success. That idea of success also had a lot to do with other’s beliefs and definitions which are not necessarily accurate. There was another part that felt that this was not what I should be doing. Advice I would give my younger self when starting out and for life in general is to pay attention to how things make me feel. Fear nothing and work to please nobody but myself.

Present: What are you currently reading? What artistic project/s are you currently working on?

Currently, I’m reading a lot of art business books. Much of the information found in these books is not taught in art school in Panama. We were taught that we have two paths to choose from: either as a working artist hopefully represented by a gallery or as an educator. Students aren’t given the tools to build a sustainable art career. I also just started reading “Intimations”, a collection of six essays by Zadie Smith.

As for art, I’m slowly developing a new body of work, but it’s still in its initial stages.

Future: What projects do you hope to work on in the future? What are your hopes & dreams for the future?

Projects: I'm looking forward to having my work in publications. Not sure why but I really enjoy seeing my work in print. Hopes and dreams: clarity and more actions that not only benefit the one but the many.

You can follow Giana on Instagram @gianadedierstudio and find out more about her work at www.gianadedierstudio.com