Diana Dávila Casasnovas
Santurce, PR, 1962
Biography Details
Sculptor, ceramicist, jewelry designer, draughtswoman, painter and teacher. Dávila earned her BFA at The University of the Arts and a certificate in fine arts at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1985). In Puerto Rico, she continued her studies in Education at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus and took workshops in drawing, painting and ceramics with artists Bernardo Hogan, Jerry Bennett, Luis Ivorra, Ricardo Tena, Joe Carolffi, Gerda Gruber, John Balossi, Loraine de Castro, Frank Cervoni and Raúl Zayas. She has taught at the Art Students League of San Juan, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón and currently at Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico. She has shown her work in several solo and group exhibitions in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Spain, including the International Festival of Postmodern Ceramics of the Croatian Ceramic Association (2005). Dávila’s sculptural work is characterized by the use of cement, the predominance of blue and green hues and by the configuration of interconnected forms in her compositions.
Artist Statement
For me, the creative process, the act of creating through the plastic arts, is a meditative process. During the process, instant images, thoughts, and interwoven emotions are joined together and transformed into the manual labor of creating forms. I explore the theory that we are not alone, that there is an order of which we are part of and in which we are agents of change and evolution.
In my visual style, the sea, as a space that connects us and where trends that visit us flow, is intertwined with images of bridges, reflections, nautical charts, vessels and faces. As a metaphor, these images represent our interaction during the travel of this space and time. If we receive instructions or not, where they come from; if the path is traced or not, if it can be changed, they are unanswered questions that form part of the design of the work. The material that I choose to work and manipulate the process is the portal between our space and time and the dimension from where we are guided and inspired.
Diana Dávila, June 6, 2015
Formation
Education
2000-2005
- Glazes for ceramics workshop. Professor Bernardo Hogan, El Trapito Art Shop, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2001
- Ceramics workshop. Professor Jerry Bennett, Toni Hambleton’s Studio, Cayey, Puerto Rico
2000
- Ceramics workshop. Professor Luis Ivorra, Liga de Arte de San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1995
- Silversmith workshop. Professor Ricardo Tena, Taller de Bellos Oficios, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1993
- Courses in Education. Universidad de Puerto Rico Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1992
- Mold techniques workshop. Professor Joe Carolffi, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
1989
- Ceramics workshop. Professor Gerda Gruber, Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Ceramics workshop. Professors John Balossi and Loraine de Castro, Liga de Arte de San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1985
- Fine Arts Certificate. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- BFA, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
1980
- Drawing and Painting workshop. Professor Frank Cervoni, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1978
- Painting workshop. Professor Raúl Zayas, Liga de Arte de San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Professional Experience
2000-Presente
- Ceramist. Puerto Rico
- Painting Professor. Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1995-Presente
- Design and manufacture of artistic jewelry. Puerto Rico
1994-2003
- Art Professor. Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1990-1998
- Sculpure Professor. Liga de Arte de San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1986-1995
- Graphic Design. Puerto Rico
1989-1994
- Scenography painter. Puerto Rico
Exhibitions
Solo Shows
2007
- Ofrendas, Galería 356, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2004
- Bienandanzas y Otros Recorridos, Citibank Puerto Rico, Atrio Citigroup Center, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2002
- Entrespacios, Diseño Isleño, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2001
- Medio Mixto, Diseño Isleño, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1999
- Centros, Diseño Isleño, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1998
- Fragmentario, Diseño Isleño, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1997
- Amuletos, Diseño Isleño, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1996
- Acrobacias y Malabares, American International Plaza, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1994
- Fábulas, Galería Lumore, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1990
- Pinturas y Esculturas, Liga de Arte de San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1988
- Dibujos en Pastel, Café Alejandro, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1987
- Dibujos en Pastel, Galería de Telemundo, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1986
- Dibujos en Pastel, La Rotisserie Club, Hotel Caribe Hilton, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Sensum, Liga de Arte de San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Group Shows
2015
- Ecléctica, Espacio Emergente, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
- DanzArte Colectivo de Coreógrafos y Artistas Plásticos, Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Solo con barro, Museo de Arte de Bayamón, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
- Muestra de Arte Nacional de Puerto Rico, Arsenal de la Marina Española; Museo de Casa Blanca, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2014
- Elite-Tile 2014, Trienal Mundial del Tile Cerámico, Museo de Arte Moderno, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
- Barro: Una Celebración, Museo y Centro de Estudios Humanísticos Dra. Josefina Camacho de la Nuez, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico
- Flota de Cerámica, Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2013
- Muestra de Arte Nacional de Puerto Rico, Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2012
- IV Bienal Internacional de Cerámica de Marratxi, Ayuntamiento de Marratxí, Mallorca, Spain
- Colectiva de Cerámica, Ciudadela de Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2011
- En-Cuadrado/doce ceramistas, Galería 778, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2010
- Memorias, Galería Brio, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2009
- Espacios Líquidos, Liga de Arte de San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2008
- Congelado Por el Fuego: Casa Candina y la Cerámica Contemporánea Puertorriqueña, Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico
2007
- Colectiva de Cerámica Contemporánea, Galería Gandía, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2005
- Cerámica Multiplex, International Festival of Postmodern Ceramics, Croatian Ceramic Association, Varazdin, Croatia
2004
- Premio Casa Candina de la Cerámica Contemporánea Puertorriqueña, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2002
- Maestro Arte-Arte Maestro, Galería de Arte, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1993
- Asociación de Mujeres Artistas de Puerto Rico, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
Collections
- Espacio Emergente, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
- Museo y Centro de Estudios Humanísticos Dra. Josefina Camacho de la Nuez, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Arte Moderno, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
- Museo del Fang, Mallorca, Spain
- Parque de la Laguna del Condado, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Colegio de Arquitectos de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Mexico
- Museo de la Ciudad, Varazdin, Croatia
- Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Hospital Episcopal San Lucas, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Bibliography
Newspapers
Alegre Barrios, Mario. “Diana Dávila y sus metáforas de vida”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, Puerto Rico), 16 de diciembre de 2004, p. 3.
Colón Camacho, Doreen. “Trascendental la conciencia ecológica de Diana Dávila”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, Puerto Rico), 4 de enero de 1995, pp. 106-107.
“Espacios creativos”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, Puerto Rico), 23 de noviembre de 2002, p.6.
Magazines
Dávila, Diana. “La Ingeniería y Agrimensura en la perspectiva escultural”. Revista Tecnomundo, Vol. 1, Núm. 9, Año 2003, p. 5.
Vega, Georgina. “La Bienal de Concreto”. Revista Caras de Puerto Rico, Año 14 (2003), Núm. 09, p. 88.
Web
Catálogo Muestra Nacional de Arte, Programa de Artes Plásticas, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2013. http://www.icp.gobierno.pr/documentos/mna/Catalogo%20MNA%202013.pdf
“Bayamón abre un espacio emergente para artistas”, Ciudad de Bayamón, Abril 27, 2015. http://www.municipiodebayamon.com/bayamon-abre-un-espacio-emergente-para...
Catálogo de la exhibición Barro: Una Celebración, Museo y Centro de Estudios Humanísticos Dra. Josefina Camacho de la Nuez, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico, 18 de octubre de 2014 al 18 de enero de 2015. http://tonihambleton.com/uploads/images/CatToniTuraboFacingE.pdf
Benítez, Marimar. “La Flota de Cerámica”. Visión Doble, Revista Digital, January 15, 2014. http://www.visiondoble.net/2014/01/15/la-flota-de-ceramica/