LOVE & FEAR
Solo Exhibition
Doongalik Studios Art Gallery, Nassau, The Bahamas
Aug. - Sept. 2019
Love & Fear featured mostly paintings depicting the often silent battle with anxiety, depression and the fear to simply live life. However, it also shows the love of self that is found in learning to accept and embrace mental and emotional struggle, as well as the fight to overcome those struggles.
Through the exhibition, Dyah aimed to encourage and expand the conversation around mental health, and remove the stigma surrounding it in The Bahamas.
Not wanting to take the traditional route of portraying mental illness as a dark and scary situation, Dyah has made her work approachable and inviting, portraying the struggle with mental illness in a positive way. In doing this, she shows that any issue we may have can be worked through, and it does not have to be a scary process. We can learn to love ourselves despite any darkness we might feel.
Learn more about the Love & Fear exhibition and the artist by visiting the Artist in the Spotlight Blog by Cacique International.
Ships at War, 2019
Acrylic on Canvas
36” x 48”
SOLD
Ships at War shows the battle of trying to be at peace and keep the mind at rest while life wars around us. Each braid represents growth in our lives gained from learning valuable life lessons in the midst of hardship. Growth allows us to become more and more beautiful, represented by the beads at the end of the braids. The ships are inspired and pulled from a number of historical paintings with ships battling out at sea. The ship acts as a symbol of freedom and journeying. However, it also represents detachment, a feeling of floating, and loneliness.
Shifting Tides, 2019 Acrylic on Canvas 14” x 18” Sold
The Cove, 2019 Acrylic on Canvas 5” x 7” Sold
Toxic, 2019 Acrylic on Canvas 12” x 16” Sold
Long Distance, 2019 Acrylic on Canvas 16” x 20” Sold
Balance, 2019
Acrylic on Canvas
24” x 48”
SOLD
Inspired by a friend of the artist who is always working on many projects and business ideas, Balance depicts the balancing act many of us try to perform every day, hoping that at one moment it doesn’t all come tumbling down. Using the rooster to represent a list of tasks, responsibilities and projects emphasizes the life each thing takes on. There movement and a looming unpredictability.
Fruit Punch, 2019
Acrylic on Canvas
14” x 18”
SOLD
The title Fruit Punch refers to Bahamians’ love for The Bahamas, while facing individual and collective hardship brought about by living here. There is a dichotomy between the image that is sold to visitors of paradise and the harsh reality of the destitution of most Bahamians. Living in such a mentally and financially challenging environment is like walking through a field of prickly pineapples and leaves, all while wearing a smile to convince tourists to return.
Envy, 2018
Acrylic on Canvas
60” x 30”
Temporal I & II, 2019
Pencil and Paint on Paper
21” x 12”
SOLD
For many with anxiety, there is an overwhelming and all-consuming fear of losing a loved one. These two works show the vibrancy of life contrasted with a loss of life and a fading memory. We all must learn to deal with death as best we can as we acknowledge that those we love are only loaned to us for a period of time.
Pretty Little Lies, 2019
Acrylic on Canvas
36” x 48”
SOLD
Which lies do we believe about ourselves that allow us to feel better or even remain a victim in a situation we’ve created ourselves? This work is intended to be read in two ways. One way is that the seagulls are our conscious fight to remove the lies, the fish, we tell ourselves, which can almost feel like a violent act as we leave a perceived safe mental place. The other way is to view the seagulls as the lies that steal our beauty away.
Mama’s Prayers, 2018 Acrylic on Canvas 24” x 36” Sold
Picnic, 2019 Acrylic, newspaper & thread on canvas 14” x 18” Sold
Exotic, 2017 Acrylic on Canvas 24” x 30” Sold
Tropical Punch, 2019 Acrylic on Canvas 8” x 8” Sold
He is Still Good, 2019
Acrylic on Canvas
24” x 30”
Sold
A reminder that no matter what happens to us in this life, God is still good. We are not promised an easy life or that God would make us prosperous if we follow his Word like a rule book. Our anxieties in this life can be eased when we no longer view ourselves as the center and realize that our identities are in God. This can help to eliminate self-doubt and self-consciousness. In historical Christian art, the pelican had at one time symbolized Christ’s sacrifice for us as it was thought that the pelican would pierce its breast to feed its blood to its young. The palm symbolizes peace, eternal life and martyrdom.