Light Heavy Sculptures

By Jordan Schraeder in 40 Acres, March | April 2012 on March 8, 2012 at 8:03 am | No Comments

When Jade Walker, director of UT’s Visual Arts Center, stepped into Diana Al-Hadid‘s New York City studio a year ago, she knew she had to make Al-Hadid an artist-in-residence on the Forty Acres.

Working with simple materials such as cardboard, wood, plaster, and metal, Al-Hadid has gained national acclaim for her gravity-defying, yet dense, art installations. Her works range aesthetically from razor-sharp edges to airy textures that seem as light as toilet paper.

As an artist-in-residence at UT, the young sculptor was charged with creating a piece specifically for the VAC’s Vaulted Gallery. To do so, Al-Hadid recruited talented undergrad and grad students, putting them to work sanding and painting the final project, “Suspended After Image.”

“These students are just raring to go,” Al-Hadid says. “They’re so eager—they’ll stay nights and work weekends without a single complaint.”

This photo shows one of Al-Hadid’s previous works. You still have two days to view her site-specific sculpture, which will be on display at the VAC until March 10.

Edge of Critical Density, 2009. Photos courtesy Diana Al-Hadid.

Tags: Diana Al-Hadid, sculpture, Vaulted Gallery, Visual Arts Center