Today we’d like to introduce you to DALIA BERLIN.
Hi DALIA, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My artistic practice emerges from a life shaped by migration, design, loss, and material exploration. I immigrated to the United States from Spain in 1987, immediately falling in love with both my new home and the man who would become my husband of 34 years.
After graduating in interior design, I developed a professional career centered on spatial and visual problem-solving. Designing environments that enhance people’s quality of life sharpened my sensitivity to light, form, texture, and the emotional impact of space—concerns that continue to inform my studio practice.
In 2016, following a devastating personal loss, I began painting as a way to process experience and reclaim expression. I initially worked in oil, later expanding into mixed media and material-based experimentation. What began as an intimate search for a visual language became a sustained investigation of color, surface, and the ways light can transform an environment. The desire to bring light into the spaces I designed gradually found its way into my work on canvas.
During the pandemic in 2020, I returned to school and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art from Florida International University. I am currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts at the Maryland Institute College of Art, with an anticipated graduation in summer 2028.
My work moves continuously between two-dimensional painting and the three-dimensional languages of sculpture and relief. I work across ceramics, wood inlay, lost-wax bronze, acrylic, collage, and textiles. I am also drawn to reclaimed materials, particularly discarded paper-pulp cartons, which I transform into imagined cityscapes. More recently, textiles have become central to my practice, allowing me to explore touch, memory, labor, and the tactile forms of knowledge passed from one generation to the next.
Through these shifting materials and forms, I investigate how personal history, built environments, and inherited traditions can be translated into objects that hold both vulnerability and resilience.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I approach life with optimism, finding beauty even in its most challenging moments. Guided by a spirit of “thrive despite,” I continue moving forward with resilience, curiosity, and an openness to whatever unfolds.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My art practice is constantly evolving, moving between painting, sculpture, collage, and fiber as I explore the relationship between material, memory, and touch. I am particularly interested in how an artwork can create a physical as well as visual experience. We are often told not to touch art, especially in museums, yet I believe the human desire to experience texture, weight, softness, and surface is fundamental to how we connect with objects and with one another. I intentionally create work that encourages viewers to think about touch—even when the work itself cannot be touched.
For many years, I have been fascinated by the iconic figure of the Menina from Velázquez’s Las Meninas, continually reinventing her through different materials, forms, and contemporary perspectives. More recently, my practice has expanded into fiber, textiles, wood, and mixed media.
What I am most proud of is my willingness to remain curious and unbound by a single medium or aesthetic. I see each material as a new language, allowing the work to continually transform while maintaining a strong connection to the tactile, the personal, and the unexpected. I believe this intersection of historical imagery, contemporary materiality, and sensory experience is what sets my work apart.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I believe meaningful networking begins with being genuinely engaged in the artistic community. I regularly attend lectures, workshops, classes, and museum programs, which have allowed me to build relationships with professors, mentors, curators, and fellow artists. These connections have become an important part of my practice, providing ongoing opportunities for learning, dialogue, and inspiration. When questions or challenges arise in my work, I value being able to draw on the experience and diverse perspectives of people I have come to know and trust.
My studio at DCOTA has also been an important part of this community. I am part of an artist collective of more than 40 creatives through Zero Empty Spaces, representing a wide range of disciplines and approaches. Working alongside other artists creates a natural environment for conversation, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas.
My advice is to show up consistently, be curious, and build relationships organically. Networking becomes much more meaningful when it is rooted in genuine interest, generosity, and a willingness to learn from others.
Pricing:
- Pricing is always a nuanced aspect of an artist’s practice. I am fortunate to work with a curator-gallerist who actively promotes and exhibits my work internationally, positioning it in a competitive, evolving art market. As demand for my work continues to grow, my pricing reflects both the market’s response to the work and its increasing recognition and value. Pricing also takes into consideration the individual characteristics of each piece, including scale, complexity, labor, and materiality. For example, a bronze sculpture carries a different production cost and value proposition than a work on paper. I therefore approach pricing on a piece-by-piece basis, balancing material and production considerations with the work’s position within my broader practice and the current market.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.daliaberlin.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/daliaberlin
