CHRISTIAN DIAZ

Born in Santiago, Chile, he grew up immersed in his family’s copper arts and crafts business, sparking an early interest in sculpting. Despite pursuing academic studies in architecture for five years shifted to a three-decade design career in Barcelona, as a means of livelihood, involving roles as an industrial designer, graphic designer, and image consultant. Simultaneously, he undertook housing renovations and managed a tourist apartment website. In 2014, a retrospective look at his arts and crafts background and early attempts at sculpture prompted led to a significant shift, making him a self-taught sculptor. Using affordable materials like cardboard, he created collections over nine years, focused on the human figure, drawing inspiration from personal experiences and global events, particularly injustices faced by the vulnerable and their struggles for education. The mantra “One sculpture in the street, one step in culture” guides his vision to extend art beyond traditional spaces, intending his creations as cultural instruments.

Over nine years, the artist’s collections, centered on the human figure, reflect personal experiences and global injustices. Being these themes the base of the work, there was something missing that could explain the fixation on working on mock-ups and prototypes. The concepts of big sizes and open air were always going around his work. The mantra “One sculpture on the street, one step in culture” underlines the goal of using art outside traditional spaces. And immediately sculptures on the street become a tool for cultural expression and a means to address inequality. The project envisions art integrated into the urban environment, reaching people as an essential cultural component. The Urban Sculpture Project aims to extend culture to corners untouched by live art, breaking barriers and combating dehumanization in cities. Art and Culture as the Equalizer, the tools to equate inequality.