Maria Diaz

This is the first time in modern history that we have been faced with a pandemic of such epic proportions. There were so many repercussions of this pandemic, some irreversible. 

I wanted my pieces to focus on the tragic irony that can be seen in the human reaction to this virus. 

I used a medical mask and a door knob as the running motifs for this mini series. 

The door knob in this instance is a very significant symbol that encapsulates the concept of this pandemic. The door knob in its true essence is a mechanism we use to open doors, but also a way to lock them… 

In the early stages of the pandemic, I witnessed the world being locked down and in doors… outside was eserved for essential personnel, everyone else was asked to #stayhome #staysafe #savelives.  I believe we’ve learnt a lot about ourselves during this pandemic, as covid-19 has “leveled the playing field”. At the end, money, power and the authorities that we cling to, cannot save us. 

We are all at the mercy of our door knobs…

Bio

Maria Diaz has been creating works of art for over 8 years and is a graduate (Honours, BA Visual Arts) of the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago. Whilst studying at UWI, Maria was awarded the Canada-Caricom scholarship for her excellence, and spent a year as an exchange student at the University of Calgary. The subject of her work is centred on the human form. Her appreciation for the human body is derived from the realistic and abstract interpretations which the body itself can create. Her work often focuses on, and questions themes related to gender, mortality and the human psyche. Maria uses her practice as a means of making sense of the environment she inhabits. 

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