Meet Artist
DIANA DE AVILA My path to becoming an artist was untraditional. Actually, I was never even interested, or talented, in art. In 1984 I suffered a traumatic brain injury. Years later, in 2017, my condition worsened and a severe relapse of MS led to a diagnosis of Acquired Savant Syndrome and synesthesia. My vision and cognition became affected, granting me artistic abilities that I had never before possessed. Synesthesia is a rare condition that triggers the senses in new ways. One sense modality occurs when another modality is stimulated (like tasting sounds or hearing scents). This condition enables me to see colors as distinct shapes and images in three dimensions or layers. As one of 300+ people over the world with my syndrome, I simply do not perceive the world as most people do. Now I create cosmic digital art rooted in fractal geometry. My chosen palette has become multiple sof tware programs, algorithms, and ar tificial intelligence. The fractal is my friend! It is a detailed pattern that repeats ad infinitum. Such self-similar patterns occur throughout nature, in trees, seashells, and crystals. One fascinating example of a natural fractal is Romanesco broccoli, in which a single floret resembles every other floret and the entire head of broccoli. Usually, my pieces are printed on acrylic or metal. My art is prolific, compulsive and rewarding—and my gift is still a mystery. To learn more about my work, please visit www.dianadeavila.com.
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SARASOTA SCENE | OCTOBER 2020