ANI DAHER

Ani Daher, fiber artist, illustrator, and graphic artist

There are two sides to my art: digital and physical. With my illustration and fiber art, I look to the tactile for unusual textures and details. I like to change scale to emphasize and reveal beauty. The structures I find most interesting are natural, small elements that help make up the complicated web of life. Eggs fascinate me, or the delicacy of dragonfly wings, the veining of a leaf, and the texture of mold. I strive to recreate these elements outside their natural environment to help the viewer slow down and appreciate the minutiae of nature. Botanical Illustration is a way for me to explore mushrooms, lichen and plant cells. I am drawn to drawing things that thrive in dark, hidden areas. In my fiber arts, I have been fascinated by soft, spirling forms. My piece Cocoon focuses on texture and creating a sensory reaction. My aim is to allow an up close examination of concealed natural processes. I love working with a range of mediums that are dictated by the subject. I see watercolor when I picture eggs and fibers for cylindrical shapes and I use pen to draw bugs and plants.

Digital art fills a different role in my practice. Graphic design is a tool for me to convey complex information in beautiful, clear, and stylistically diverse ways. When arranging large amounts of information, which is my favorite type of design work, I aim for clear, legible construction. With design pieces like my train schedule and rider magazine I was redesigning in order to cohesively present information. My goal is to anticipate usability for the consumer with attractive results while also fulfilling the clients’ needs.