The National Museum Hosts Madeline
Díaz: Nuevos Caminos Exhibition

Muscat, 15 Jan (ONA) — The
National Museum, in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Muscat, is hosting
an art exhibition titled Madeline Díaz: Nuevos Caminos.

The exhibition features over 20
artworks by the Dominican-American artist, depicting evocative landscapes and
still life that explore and celebrate her cultural identity through art. The
exhibition will run until 29 January 2025.

During the opening ceremony, the U.S.
Ambassador to Oman, Ana Escrogima, stated: “This collaboration is more than an
exhibition; it is a platform for exchange and self-expression, offering Omani
youth the opportunity to interact with themes of identity through nature, which
is a key theme in Madeline Diaz’s work. The artwork of landscapes—from the
Grand Canyon in the U.S. to Jebel Shams in Oman—inspire reflection on identity
and belonging. Through this exhibition, visitors will explore these themes, encouraging
them to consider their own connections to culture and history.”

The artist, Madeline Diaz, also shared her thoughts,
stating: “As an artist, my work explores the complexities of identity,
migration, and cultural exchange. My time in Oman allowed me to be connected
with the Omani youth, exploring their traditions and exchanging ideas with them
on how natural scenes and history shape our identity. This cultural dialogue
reminded me of the deep, reciprocal connections between our worlds—from the
Americas to Oman—through trade, food, and shared humanity.”

The core series, Caminos (meaning “ways”
or “paths” in Spanish), comprises sixteen landscapes inspired by Díaz’s travels
along the Saint James Way (Camino de Santiago) in Spain, a historically and
religiously significant pilgrimage route dating back to the Middle Ages. While
traversing these paths, the artist reflects on her personal journey from her
native Santiago in the Dominican Republic (an island in the Caribbean) to New
York City, and ultimately to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, where the Saint
James Way concludes. Díaz draws parallels between the pilgrimage route and the
universal act of migration, which she experienced as a child.

In the still life series, Postcolonial
Bodegón (postcolonial still life), Díaz seeks to reinterpret the classic
Spanish still-life genre by infusing it with products from the Americas. By including
purple and red corn, blue and purple potatoes, chocolate and hibiscus flowers,
the artist celebrates the beauty, diversity and ubiquity of these products, as
well as the rich diversity and contributions of her culture. Díaz engages in a
form of reverse colonization in art, acknowledging the historical flow of
products from the Americas to Europe during the colonial era and its lasting
impact in everyday life across borders and cultures.

Madeline Díaz was born in the Dominican Republic, raised
in New York City, and is currently based in Paris. Through her artwork, she
explores themes of identity, belonging, migration, place, and postcolonial
legacies using a variety of art genres and mediums–from landscape to still life,
and oil pastel to oil paint.

Díaz received a diploma in illustration from the High
School of Fashion Industries in 1998. She holds a BA in Art History from Brown
University and an MA in Museum Studies from Columbia University. She was taught
by the Cuban-American artist José Pascual Hijuelos and the French artist
Patrick Laurin. Through her work, Díaz seeks to acknowledge the long-lasting
impact of the old European art masters on her artistic development, while
searching for and creating space for her own voice and complex cultural identity.

In addition to her work as an artist, Díaz has over 20
years of experience designing and leading programmes for museums and cultural
institutions in the U.S. and France, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
the Frick Collection, the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, the National
Museum of the American Latino, the Grand Palais, and the Maison Européenne de
la Photographie. She frequently teaches museum education at the University of
Versailles and travels regularly between France, Spain, and the U.S.

— Ends/Khalid