Kristy Darnell Battani

About Kristy Darnell Battani

Austin-based artist Kristy Darnell Battani masterfully transforms vintage print materials into textured abstractions, creating a dialogue on history, memory, and materiality. Her work explores the intricate balance between permanence and impermanence, as well as preservation and reinvention, highlighting tactile, slow processes that stand in stark contrast to today's digital era. Battani's art revitalizes overlooked materials, positioning them within contemporary discussions on abstraction, gender roles, and cultural memory.

Battani's distinctive method involves deconstructing utilitarian materials like manuals, magazines, and maps to uncover hidden narratives and themes. These fragments form the basis for her abstract compositions, which encourage viewers to engage with both the materials and the ideas they represent. Her technique, characterized by layered paint, paper, ink, resin, and thread, yields intricately textured pieces that unveil their complexity upon closer examination. Through this process, she not only honors the past lives of these materials but also imbues them with contemporary relevance.

With a background in Communications and Graphic Design, Battani's career path included a stint as an intellectual property lawyer before returning to her artistic roots. She completed a two-year portfolio program in Design and continues to hone her skills through specialized workshops focusing on textile and paper processes. Her dedication to material transformation and abstraction has led her to exhibit at prestigious art fairs and venues, with her work included in major corporate and hospitality collections nationwide.

Kristy Darnell Battani is committed to evolving her language of abstraction to deepen the dialogue between textiles, print culture, and material transformation. She aims to further investigate labor-intensive processes to spark conversations around the intersection of collective memory, craft, and messaging in contemporary art. Through her creations, Battani not only honors the past but also provides a reflective space amidst the fast-paced digital world, allowing viewers to pause and discover new meanings.