Diane Abt

I am a visual artist whose work is rooted in journalism and Asian calligraphy.

A seven-year sojourn in Japan, especially studying calligraphy, helped me discover the elegance of understatement, as well as the beauty and power of emptiness. The vibrant earthiness of my hometown, Chicago, taught me to search for complex texture beneath the surface. My 35-year career as a reporter and editor also shapes my work. Story telling remains important to me, though my tools have changed.

Art making enables me to see the world's beauty with more delight, to witness its tragedy with more clarity and compassion, and hopefully to create a similar experience for the viewer. In the words of Paul Klee, "Art does not render the visible, but renders visible."

Studied with various artists including Enrique Chagoya, Orit Hofshi, Buzz Spector, Lisa Bulawsky, Yoshiko Okada, Kazuaki Tanahashi, Nathan Oliviera, Jane Rosen, and Lisa Mackie. My artwork has been shown in Chicago, Tokyo, San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland.,