I was tears, laughter I became.: Diana Bitar
In her first solo exhibition in Amsterdam, Brussels-based artist Diana Bitar (*1995) presents a new body of hand-dyed, pleated silk works alongside a contemplative installation.
In her first solo exhibition in Amsterdam, Brussels-based artist Diana Bitar (*1995) presents a new body of hand-dyed, pleated silk works alongside a contemplative installation.
Taking inspiration from the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi, Bitar traces a passage from sorrow to radiance, a movement from tears toward laughter, from heaviness toward light. Her practice transforms rituals of dyeing, folding, and arranging fabric into gestures of gratitude, beauty and renewal.
The result is a series of works that invite reflection: soft sculptures of colour and movement, carrying both fragility and strength.
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Diana Bitar, L’homme propose et Dieu dispose, 2025 -
Diana Bitar, They call it Maladaptive Daydreaming, 2025
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Diana Bitar, Je suis la main qui me guide, 2024
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Diana Bitar, Je reconnais les signes II, 2024
The Millen House proudly presents I was tears, laughter I became byDiana Bitar, her first solo exhibition in Amsterdam, Coinciding with GLUE Amsterdam (18–21 September), the exhibition runs until 19 October and features new hand-dyed, pleated silk works alongside a site-specific installation for contemplation and reflection.
The exhibition takes its title from a poem by Rumi (1207–1273), the Persian mystic whose verses speak of transformation through love and gratitude. Bitar draws on these themes and her own daily ritual of writing down small joys as guiding stars in difficult times. “When I thought my sadness wouldn’t end, I grounded myself by noting the details that brought me light — my mother’s tenderness, flowers blooming, meals shared,” she reflects. In her work, these quiet thoughts unfold into pleated silk topographies where memory, colour and rhythm accumulate in delicate folds. Her practice turns textile into a poetic language, both architectural and intimate.
About the Artist
Diana Bitar (b. 1995) lives and works in Brussels. Her work has been shown at COLLECTIBLE (Brussels), North Sea Jazz (Rotterdam), Art The Hague, and KunstRAI (Amsterdam). She has built a growing base of international collectors drawn to her radiant colours, mesmerising textures, and the balance of craft, skill, and artistic expression in her work.