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“Who’s This Diva?”: Divas in Conversation is the result of a two year exploration into personal identity and abstracted portraiture. Inspired by the theatricality and strong personalities of pop and disco icons like Donna Summer and Blondie, and the raw authenticity of contemporary singers like Slayyyter, these abstract characters serve as personified visuals of my identity and personality.
The culminatination of this project, "Divas in Conversation", explores artistic and personal growth, presenting a chaotic, conversational scene of the Divas as fragments of my identity.
Divas in Conversation represents a turning point in my relationship with identity and self-acceptance through artmaking. Throughout the series, the Divas act as fragmented reflections of my emotional states, personality, and mindset at different moments in my life. By bringing these figures together within one space, the work acknowledges that identity is not singular or fixed and instead constructed from life’s experiences and emotions. Reflecting the use of the earlier Divas as fragmented visual symbols of my mindset and identity at the times they were each created and bringing together these disjointed and fragmented parts of a person into one.Personal iconography, like the pearls and ceramics connected to my childhood and family, subtly places my own history into the compositions, placing myself directly within the “conversation”. These objects function as references to my childhood and personal items were included as subtle references to past identities and a symbol of acceptance within a person’s identity; acknowledging all the elements that make a person who they are, positive and negative, and recognising the necessity of each part in the journey of self-development.Each print symbolises a different response to life and identity. Divas in Waiting reflects acceptance of hardship while still remaining open to curiosity and possibility. The title piece, Divas in Conversation explores the tension between anger and complacency, directly visualising an internal dialogue within my head. And Divas in Motion celebrates music, movement, and joy as forms of escape and blissful ignorance during difficult times. Collectively, the works present the evolution of my identity and sense of self placing myself more firmly within the Divas and their broader concept, ultimately answering the question of “Who’s This Diva?”.
Divas in Waiting (2026). Lithograph on Rives Tan paper, 740 x 530 mm.
Leading to the left of the room is Divas in Waiting, symbolising a state of unknowing and fatigue. Thematically, it focuses on the idea of accepting defeat and allowing oneself the chance to wallow in the difficulties of life and academia, as well as the tedium of personal growth and acceptance. However, it also captures that spark of curiosity that remains even in difficult times, this is seen in the Diva stood with her back to the viewer looking onto an open door, possibly alluding to new beginnings or possibilities out of view. In front of her stands a cat, its back arched as to almost block the door, or the possibilities beyond it. Possibly signifying the inherent fear of exploring curiosity and the consequences or mental block of accepting new ideas and personal change.
To the left, a Diva rests their head against a round table while gazing at their pearl jewellery, inspired by pearls passed down through the family, with a star shaped hair clip mirroring the star shaped ashtray. The jewellery being taken off may suggest stripping off the false pretence of using dressing up and glamour to hide behind, and the exhaustion of keeping up appearance of stability in one’s identity while also emotionally overwhelmed, whether academically, creatively, or personally. This project was a large factor in overcoming a disillusionment with my art, allowing for more authentic expression.Again, an earlier Diva makes is referenced in a painting within the room to represent the complexity of moving forward and achieving personal growth. A Diva inspired by Rhiannon reaches through the painting on the wall symbolising the grip a past version of the self may still have, with the earlier Diva still representing the fragmented state of self-identity of the singular portraits and myself prior to this project. Additionally, is a quiet reference to the very first Diva, hidden behind a vase of flowers to pay homage to the origin of the project, and a turning point in the process of acceptance within my personal and artistic identity.
Divas in Conversation (2026). Lithograph on Rives Tan paper, 740 x 530 mm.
Anchoring the series is the title piece, Divas in Conversation, the first image to be drawn up from rough concept and give the Divas a real sense of environmental context. At its core, this piece represents a range of personality and drama as the three figures exist in a darkened room, illuminated by a harsh retro light.Two Divas sit around a small round table, appearing to be in a heated debate or lively conversation, capturing what could be read as my loud internal dialogue or lively talks between friends; a subtle callback to my friends and people close to me loosely being muses to the first Divas. Alternatively, each Diva could represent hints of stubbornness and anger within a person, and the conflicting self-destructive feelings often felt with that notion.
Behind stands a tall Diva leaning onto a smaller table that flows into the adjacent print, wearing a bold structures outfit and smoking a cigarette. Watching the conversation from across the room could symbolise my feelings of otherness at times as well as a common feeling of watching my own life happen from a distance, feeling out of control and opting to choose acceptance or complacency.This print hides two references to the Diva series, both in the painting on the wall and the ashtray on the table. Within the original Diva series was Hilda, becoming a favourite of myself and others as she captures the moody essence of the Divas perfectly, and is used in this image to symbolise the negative parts of a person that are always underlying, alluding to a more negative past version of myself that created Hilda. She holds a magnifying glass as she watches over the Divas in the room, similar to how a person might still look critically at themselves, even after personal growth. Similarly, the star-shaped ashtray visually references the sharp collars on some of the Divas but also stands as a symbol of my past destructive behaviours and vices.
Divas in Motion (2026). Lithograph on Rives Tan paper, 740 x 530 mm.
Closing off the series is Divas in Motion, capturing an essence of joy and blissful ignorance in times of difficulty. This final print depicts two Divas dancing hand in hand in a dark room with a shining disco ball above, depicting a nightclub or social setting connected to the larger space that this series occupies. The Divas holding hands and dancing signify a sense of unity between the previously singular fragments of my identity, coming together to find a positive despite external stresses depicted in the rest of the “room”, rounding up the concept of visualising my mindset or internal dialogue with the Divas.The idea of joy in spite of hardship is also symbolised by a cluster of dried poppy seeds held in a vase to the left of the print.
Although initially inspired by my mother’s wedding bouquet that still lives on in my childhood home, in some contexts the poppy is also a symbol for the Irish concept of “Áthas agus Uaigneas” meaning joy and loneliness. In the Irish language, emotions and feelings are commonly expressed as states that are “on” a person, like, “tá brón orm” meaning “sadness is on me”, framing emotions as temporary and situational experiences rather than fixed possessions or identities. Mirroring the symbolism of my work moving away from singularity and lifting off the negative elements of myself moving forward personally. Poppies in this context are seen to reflect boldness and vulnerability (Birch & Bracken), and blend the idea of the Divas being bold expressions of myself, while also bringing a part of my Irish heritage into the work.Next to the flowers is a small bust in the shape of a Diva’s head, loosely inspired by an early etching as well as a porcelain bust of my parents, placing both of these references to family and childhood in a print that reads as the “happy place” in my internal dialogue within the imaginary space of this series.The repeating visuals of the painting and the cat in this space also signifies a shift from my past fragmented self into growth and acceptance. The Diva in this painting is seen with a question mark representing the necessity for blissful ignorance and naivety in life, and within a mental “happy place”. Additionally, the cat here appears startled by the dancing and joy, reinforcing the visual shift in identity, if the cat from Divas in Waiting is a symbol of the mental blocks to personal growth and happiness. In which the startled cat here may symbolise the change moving forward in the context of personal growth and acceptance, despite past negative elements of oneself weighing in, further reinforcing this print’s symbolism of hope, and the series’ overall message of the complexity of acceptance and understanding identity.
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