Diane Moreno

Nichos and ZinTins

Diane has been making nichos for nearly two decades. Her work has been shown in galleries in New Mexico, Colorado and other states. The nichos were originally inspired by those inset into the thick walls of their adobe homes by the Spanish colonials to honor favorite santos, or to serve as little altars. By now, Diane's have taken on a life of their own ... each one crafted with specific intentions in telling its own story. She  patiently coaxes weathered native woods to give up their history in forming the body of each nicho. Juniper branches and pinon roots are used to serve as latches and in windows. Interior embellishments might be of tin, paper, or found objects ... treasures gathered from sojourns through the hills, along the river, or from markets, locally and faraway. Judyth Hill of the Albuquerque Journal described Diane's nichos as setting up "an inviting tension between the secret and the revealed, in both the material and the object". She pronounced them "heartfelt and tenderly built." Others have used adjectives such as organic, spiritual, rustic yet sophisticated, and even humorous.

Diane's work continues to evolve through personal exploration ... of media, of whimsy, of the harsh New Mexico landscape. An eclectic assortment of objects, some practical and others unabashedly ornamental, are now sharing shop space with her nichos. After years of working with malleable tin, she has made it her main focus recently. As she pounds zing and verve into the tin, a growing tribe of quirky characters is emerging, with personality and plenty of attitude. Sometimes the tincan's own printed words relay a subtle, even sly, message. Sometimes it's the odd red shoe or a winking eye that brings the character to life. These are her ZinTins.