Tropic zone

MANILA, Philippines - Dina Gadia, an artist inspired by “all things nice and ugly,” found herself channeling her piece “The Great Trendkill Display” for her rendition of the March YStyle logo.

“It’s got a tropical feel to it, love, nature, and humor. And also the inconvenience of vacation,” she laughs.

Gadia, who recently had a solo show at Blanc Compound dubbed “Regal Discomforts,” found much to ponder on the “misconceptions of things.” “Like in most of my works, it’s a marriage of contrasts and ironies mined from different sources,” she observes.

The artist’s striking style of culling retro images and combining them to form a narrative has made her a popular figure in the art scene — her pieces sold instantly at the 2011 Miami Pulse Art. Inspired by “old movie posters, album covers, pulp and old textbook illustrations, pin-ups, signage, Henry Darger, vintage magazines and books, comics, publishing, advertising, thrift shops, obscure images and other pop sensibilities,” Gadia is an artist who mines old material for new meaning.

Visit dinagadia.blogspot.com to find out more about the artist.