Daniela Puliti creates Feminist, craft-based, mixed-media paintings and installations that explore gender, sexuality, vulnerability, body image, and mental health through color, pattern, and humor. She identifies as a gender-questioning femme, forever evaluating the shifting ideals around intersectional feminism within structural misogyny.

In her installation work, Daniela seeks to create soft walls that act as an emotional divider while beckoning a closeness and desire of touch. Incorporating a variety of weaving techniques and drawing from what she calls “autobiographical disasters,” Daniela’s work explores the idea of soft, emotional walls both as defense mechanisms and protective boundaries.

We caught up with Daniela in her New Jersey studio over the summer to see some of her works in progress and chat about her evolving practice. Knitting during our conversation, Daniela spoke about her most recent solo exhibition, There were no casseroles…, which focused on the grieving process after the death of her partner mid-pandemic. The title of the exhibition, Daniela told us, is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the absence of a funeral, gathering, or opportunity to commiserate over a shared meal.

As a part of the exhibition, Daniela asked friends, family, and gallery visitors to share a recipe for comfort to help the grief process. She then compiled Recipes for Comfort, a recipe book that functions both as an exhibition catalog and cookbook.