Artist Statement

Each painting in the exhibition is an impression taken from Guiseppe di Lampedusa’s “The Leopard” which chronicles the changes in Sicilian life and society during the Risorgimento, published in 1958. Set against the political upheavals in Italy in the 1860s, the book depicts a colourful household of Sicilians in their rural palazzo – it is a complete assault on the scenes. For Diana Watson, “The Leopard” is the perfect escape to ‘another time, another place’ and hopes her paintings have a similar effect on their viewer.