artists
Diane Fredgant
medium: fiber/fabric
Artist Statement:
I have long been inspired by the stories and traditions in the Torah and other Jewish texts. My work as a silk and sculpture artist represents a wide range of Jewish beliefs, from Kabbalistic ideas to Torah commandments. For the last 25 years, I have specialized in custom works of functional art, combining each customer’s desires and spirituality with millennia of Jewish tradition to create chuppahs, challah covers, and tallitot, among other forms. My recent work focuses on the Modern Mishkan installation: an artistically interactive, educational, and spiritual experience designed to honor the Mishkan of the Torah and the key commandments that regulate Jewish life.
Artist Bio:
Portland-based artist Diane Fredgant is a silk painter and sculptor. At age 23, she began her career as a stone and clay sculptor. Making use of her advertising degree, she worked in Los Angeles as a print production manager, where she developed her eye for detail and color. After moving to Albuquerque, she redefined her artistic path by learning the art of silk painting and is still fascinated by the medium and learning new techniques 25 years later. Silk’s unique qualities make it perfect for the wearable, practical art that Diane favors. Pulling inspiration from Jewish texts, the natural world, and conversation, she mixes holiness and beauty in her art. Diane strives to capture each person’s unique relationship with the divine. She is honored to be able to share her art with those around her. Diane is a past president of ORA Northwest Jewish Artists and is a member of the American Guild of Judaic Art.
