The new series of Dior Talks – hosted by Paris-based journalist Katya Foreman – is dedicated to the eagerly anticipated ninth edition of Dior Lady Art. Eleven global artists have been invited to transform the iconic Lady Dior handbag into a unique piece of art.

Our latest guest is artist Hayal Pozanti, who explores dreaming as a collective power to create a new reality. The Turkish-born, US-based artist lives in Manchester in rural Vermont, a town surrounded by forest-covered mountains, endless lakes and rivers and waterfalls and greenery.

Drawing on the tradition of plein air painting, Pozanti creates preliminary pastel sketches during hikes which she transforms into large-scale landscapes, painting with oil sticks, her fingers, her hands and body. The artist draws upon her experiences of the natural world, her dreams and her intuitions, directing the gaze towards a fictional elsewhere that feels irresistibly real.

For Dior Lady Art, Pozanti has created three Lady Dior bags inspired by her art and travels into the heart of the mountains. The first two designs feature details drawn from her passion for trekking: sheepskin inserts reminiscent of the lining of hiking boots, custom carabiners hand-crafted by the Dior Ateliers and feet recalling the star-shaped tips of walking poles. The iconic “D, I, O, R” charms are translated into hieroglyphs conceived by the artist. 

Based on a painting Pozanti created on a beach during a full moon, the third model is a clutch painted with a nocturnal panorama and embroidered with comet-like trails of rhinestones; the interior is covered with mirrors, offering a reflection of oneself and the earth. “It's a painting that encompasses all that is magic about our world,” says the artist.

Download the episode to learn more about Hayal Pozanti’s fascinating universe.

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