they said: workplace netherworlds & other stories
2024 | imperfecta, USA

For this solo show solo at imperfecta, titled "THEY SAID: workplace netherworlds and other stories", I created 18 mixed media pieces to explore workplace bullism, patriarchy, mobbing and betrayal – and the solitude, sadness and rage that comes with them. Drawing from experiences as a high tech executive, I created work that is "intimate, dark, uncomfortable, deeply earnest and unapologetic."

The artworks in this exhibit tell harsh, hard to fathom stories that I experienced and reflected on – from proteges' betrayals to psychotic managers, queen bee syndrome sufferers and shameless patriarchal behaviors. Artworks were created by leveraging diverse media: acrylic and ink illustrations, modified natural elements, fiber, found objects, heirlooms, vintage photography, prints, and even human hair. Each piece is accompanied by direct, vibrant yet analytical writings that provide deep insights in the lived events behind each piece.

Jennifer Gillia Cutshall, curator and owner of Verum Ultimum, wrote about this exhibition:

"There's an ethereal quality to this exhibition. I arrived early and the moments in the quiet space of "They Said" held so much Magic!

All gallery visitors were completely engaged with the story and striking work. They hung on each piece, reading the text that seemed to hover just above the wall on translucent vellum (like cantations to catch before they evaporate).

Daria's work is a force of cerebral considerations (of workplace aggressions and microaggressions). Her designer chops are evident, but beyond that... the work feels spiritually significant. It levitates outside the bounds of the gallery to settle somewhere in the psyche. Many may relate to these workplace vignettes (being haunted by workplace trauma is a vulnerability that most share to varying degrees).

As I walked around the space I noticed that the things "they said" disappeared as the powerful, playful, and singular creations by Daria took over. Daria wields divine whimsy and "They Said" is a must-see exhibition or better put, a must-experience exhibition!"

You should reconsider

Acrylic, mica, human hair, dice, wooden print blocks, vintage photo, glass paint.

12" x 8.5" x 2"

"One day, her director explained that research shows that people perceive curly hair in the workplace as unprofessional. Only those already in power roles can afford to wave their curls around, the manager explained, while pointing at her own head.

Then, the director then pointed at HER head and said: “You should reconsider.”

You should downgrade

Acrylic, archival paper, and ink on canvas. 10" x 8" x 0.75"

"During her graduate studies, she decided to direct her research in a specific direction. Her superiors wanted her to go a different route, building on their own research interests and agendas. Things got tense. Eventually, the research committee told her: “You should downgrade.”

From PhD to a Masters. Recovered from the shock, she moved to a new department. After completing her PhD thesis in the new department, she received a phone call. “Many congratulations for the impressive results and reviewers’ feedback,” said the research committee director that once asked her to downgrade."

You have the intuition

Acrylic, paper, heavy medium, racoon penis bone, crackling paste, metal. 16" x 12" x 1"

"One day an executive summoned her and a colleague to get input on an acquisition. While she used that product only for about 5 years, she shared a recommendation. Her colleague offered the same recommendation, with an authoritative voice.

She pointed out that he sounded as if he had more experience, yet the recommendation overlapped. The decision seemed clear. At that point the colleague admitted that he barely used the product over the past few months.

After a few seconds, the executive said, “well, the decision is clear.” Then, pointing to the colleague first and her second, he added: “as you have the knowledge and she the intuition.”

Queen Bee

Acrylic, vintage paper, gold paint, gold leaf, metal parts, gold paint. 19" x 12" x 2"

"She once worked for a queen bee. The queen bee was the mother of the hive. There was only one queen, surrounded by worker bees whose work was to meet her every need. Her strong pheromones kept the colony working together and, crucially, prevented workers from trying to produce visible work or become successful in the process.

Like all queen bees, this one too had drones – and their work was to ensure the future of the colony by enforcing the queen bee’s capricious rules. That role was important enough that drones were fed ideas and projects by the workers, becoming successful through their work."

The Mob: Ringleader

Acrylic and archival paper on canvas.

20" x 10" x 1.5"

"She once got stuck in the middle of a workplace mobbing activity. She identified that there was a mob, a victim and ringleader. But it took a while – too long. Like in many mobbing endeavors, the victim was guilty of one thing only: success. The ringleader could not stand that someone would be able to achieve what they could not. The envy consumed them.

Stories started to circulate – untrue yet deliciously titillating stories. Stories that latched on many, wreaking havoc. Rear-view mirror in hand, the ringleader kept watching."

The Mob: Enabler

Acrylic and archival paper on canvas.

20" x 10" x 1.5"

"She once got stuck in the middle of a workplace mobbing activity. She identified that there was a mob, a victim and ringleader. But it took a while – too long. Like in many mobbing endeavors, the victim was guilty of one thing only: success. This was a success that annoyed the resident Queen Bee and her drones. So, the queen bee added a new, glorious role to her long list of royal activities, and became the Enabler. Open hand, she silently and invisibly directed the traffic to ensure the Mob would keep driving and grow in power."

She spoke triangular words

Vintage photo, acrylic, cotton thread, wooden mini bowls, vintage doll ceramic arm. 17" x 12" x 1"

"She once had a manager that was highly respected and loved. She too, loved and admired her.

But then things changed. Meetings frequently became punctuated by sentences that started with: “They said…” The more she focused to excel at her job, the more those painful “they said…” meetings kept occurring.

One day, she learned about the other side of her admired, beloved manager: she could speak triangular words. Shiny, Sharp. Hurtful. Harmful. It took her over a year to recover from what she now accepts as workplace PTSD."

Pedaling through sadness, as one

Antique wood container, acrylic, vintage photo, paper, coral, garnets, vintage brass pendant, encyclopedia paper, red obsidian, shells, gold paint, glass beads. 9" x 13" x 7"

"Those first months of that year. So much death. So much unhappiness. So much drama. Every week, a new form of awful would arise. A new inappropriate sentence would come her way, like sharp darts toward a fixed board. Work was exhausting.

She was grieving, her family was grieving.

They stuck together - bonded by love, while pedaling through their sadness."

Just.Do.not.

Vintage doll, gold acrylic, cotton, brass, bones, 1950s mother of pearl bead, ostrich feathers, glass beads, wood. 6" x 13" x 5"

"Long time ago, she was a graduate student. One day she was presenting to a number of professors in her department, one of which was an internationally recognized luminary in his field. Scared yet well prepared, she started talking about her research.

A few seconds in, the luminary interrupted her and said: “Stop waving your hands. Just do not move them. You are giving me a headache with those Italian moving hands”.

Ashamed, she moved her hands under the desk and forgot what she was presenting."

All your promises. Judah

Vintage photograph, acrylic, cotton, vintage paper wrap, silver marker, old wood handle, typewriter button, pumice. 13" x 17" x 1.5"

"Years ago, she hired a young woman who was at the start of her own career. She was eager, dedicated, ambitious and smart. She took her under her wing and for years helped grow her career. She counseled her to negotiate salaries and promotions, find better opportunities and troubleshoot when colleagues and managers did not treat her properly. Over time, they developed a solid understanding and she felt that she could trust her fully. When she moved to a new job, she rehired her, giving her more responsibilities.

One day, the protege had an opportunity to be promoted and leap forward. The quid pro quo was betrayal. She did not hesitate and leapt. At home they call her Judah."

If you were smarter

Vintage newspaper, acrylic paint, silver marker, rice paper, wool, metal pins. 8" x 6" x 1.5"

"One day a colleague invited her to a presentation – based on the title, the topic was so perfectly aligned with her project that she decided to join and learn what another researcher in her large organization identified and concluded. Hundreds of senior people were on the call. As the presenter started talking, she recognized his voice. Within seconds, she realized that he was presenting her work. He did not even change the slide template – he simply removed her name and placed his own as lead researcher. She felt shocked and hurt. The day after she met with their shared manager to get counsel on next steps. After listening to the full story, the manager looked at her and said: “If you were smarter this would not have happened – you would have protected your work.”

One day, the protege had an opportunity to be promoted and leap forward. The quid pro quo was betrayal. She did not hesitate and leapt. At home they call her Judah."

Here's your table

Acrylic, ink, archival paper, crackling paste, ceramic letters on canvas. 36" x 24" x 1"

"At last, the new, upgraded team space was ready. Upon entering the open space enclosed by partitions, she noticed large desks, bookshelves and low cabinets with plants and decorations.

It was inviting. A colleague in charge of the space organization approached her with a site plan and an over-extended smile. Pointing at a small desk facing one of the corners at 45 degrees angle, the colleague said: “Here’s your table.”

The desk was tiny. After placing a laptop and monitor there was barely any space left for a notepad. Also, the desk faced the corner. While setting up, she could hear colleagues whispering and giggling. She then decided to move the chair on the other side of the desk, shoulders to the corner – facing them all, at her new table."

Before she does

Acrylic, ink, cotton thread, paper. 12" x 15"

"She once had a project idea to benefit her organization while helping her grow her own acumen, visibility and career.

After some time, the project was mature enough to move to the next big step, so she set up a meeting with her manager and director.

After presenting the status, plan and proposal, the director looked at the manager and said: “Do it before SHE does.”

His name was then added to the project. She kept working on it. He was promoted."

Your style feels abrasive

Acrylic, archival paper, heavy medium and ink of wood panel. 16" x 8" x 0.75"

"It was time for her yearly performance review. Since her past year was jam-packed with numerous successful projects and remarkable achievements, her hope was to be promoted. At a minimum, she expected an “Outstanding Performance” review that would set her up for a promotion the following year. She sat in the meeting room in front of him – a copy of the performance documentation was on the table, between them. When the manager finished listing all her achievements, congratulating her for a great year, he handed the paperwork.

She opened the document to the last page, to check the rating. A “Good” greeted her. Confused, she asked what impacted the rating, since he spent the entire meeting congratulating her for the amazing work and she expected an “Outstanding.”

“Your style feels abrasive to some,” he said."

Analyzed #1

Wooden box, acrylic, vintage photographs, shell, found pebbles, cotton thread, felt. 5" x 5" x 7"

"As a new immigrant, she frequently felt over-analyzed. Every move, every word, every decision – meticulously marked like an ear in a book. Something to use later on.

Words seemed to be particularly contentious at work. And above all, tone. While trying to learn more about the culture she moved into, words and tones quickly became indelible and unforgivable marks on her back. Heavy like stones.

The echo of her words kept traveling fast, distorted. Not speaking seemed the only option, but that became a mark too."

Analyzed #2

Wooden box, acrylic, vintage photographs, shells, felt, mirrors, glass bottles, hair, agates, bone, vintage calendar paper, beach pebbles, wax. 5" x 5" x 7"

"As a new immigrant, she frequently felt unseen. Or better, only some aspects of her complexity seemed visible. Like in an infinite mirror kaleidoscope, a handful of her characteristics kept growing, amplifying, defining her work persona.

The exit was hard to discover and most did not have the time or interest to find it. And so, they all remained blissfully locked inside the kaleidoscope, seeing only small, distorted aspects of her reality."

they said: workplace netherworlds & other stories 2024 | imperfecta, USA