LAS SUSTANCIAS SERIES, 2024 – 2026
Partial exhibition view of Dianna Frid: Matter is the Nectar of Writing
Presented at Illinois State University Galleries
January 11 to March 1, 2026
Curated by Kendra Paitz
The material basis of the works in the El texto y sus sustancias series is paper hand made with the fibers of the Oaxacan pochote (ceiba) tree and shards of mica of varying sizes. Each individual work may also include metal leaf, graphite, colored pencil and / or other substances.
El texto y sus sustancias—in English: The Text and Its Substances—is an ongoing series of works that alludes to forms of asemic writing. It was also the name of an exhibition of new and varied works that took place in Oaxaca, Mexico (May-July 2025).
With gratitude to Enrique Ramírez, paper maker extraordinaire.
Photo by Jade Nguyen