Interior decorator rollin’ toward dreams

After finishing art foundation at VCU, sophomore Diana Chang was perplexed as to what art direction she wanted to pursue. The more thought she put into it, the more she was drawn to interior design.

Chang said one reason she picked interior design was her love of modern homes and buildings.

“I like the simplicity of it. Something so simple can be so appealing to the eye,” Chang said. “Rather than a traditional interior decorator where it’s all frilly . that’s not me.”

Chang started taking private art lessons when she was 9 years old and from then on, she learned to work with different mediums such as watercolors, pastels, acrylics, colored pencils and charcoal. Chang said one of her fortés as an artist is paying attention to detail.

“I like working with colored pencil because I like the tiny, intricate details,” Chang said.

Communication arts major Conannon Kauffman said Chang had a strong work ethic, which helped when they collaborated on a group project for a timed studio class.

“When me and a couple other group members got a little hissy at each other, Diana calmed us down,” Kauffman said. “She was really great at keeping everyone calm and on topic.”

High school friend Sarah Soh thought Chang was good at instilling confidence in others. Soh recalled a time in high school when she and Chang painted the senior mural and received negative criticism from other students.

“If my feelings were kind of hurt, she would really cheer me up and tell me ‘it’s awesome,” Soh said.

In the future, Chang hopes to build homes for others, as well as her own. She said interior designers are not architects, but have skills that are similar to their expertise.

“You take into account spaces-what can be removed and what’s available there for you,” Chang said.

Chang has wanted to be an artist since she was a child. When she was 8 years old she wrote in a time capsule that she wanted to be an artist. She said it feels good to be moving forward.

“Ideas have changed but I still have the intention of doing art. It feels good to be on a roll (and in pursuit) of that goal,” Chang said.

Each week, the Spectrum Section selects a talented student from the School of the Arts (music, dance, theater and visual) and showcases his or her achievements both in and around the VCU community. Do you want your name and work in the CT?
E-mail Spectrum@Commonwealthtimes.com for consideration.