Diana Miller

'Cheeky Chops' wears humour as armour - avoiding connection with wit, lightness, and mischief, using charm and playfulness to skirt vulnerability. Cheeky Chops speaks to the ways lightheartedness can both connect and conceal, using irreverence to soften discomfort and mask what lies beneath.

Diana Miller's process of layering is central, both conceptually and materially. In some of the works, the underlying image remains visible; in others, it is softened through glazing or almost entirely concealed beneath dense surface layers. This process mirrors the ways we construct our own facades through life, consciously or not. The foregrounds consist of compositions the artist has created, evolved, and revisited - a visual lexicon developed over time through an elaborate, multifaceted shape-making practice. Like much of her past work, these paintings carry a distinct graphic sensibility, influenced by her background in graphic design and a passion for distilling form.