Diana Lucini
- Anna Lilli Garai
- Sep 26
- 5 min read
Diana Lucini, who works under the name Kumani, builds her practice through illustration, animation, and 3D modeling. Trained in editorial graphics in Rome, she now develops digital worlds where fantasy and personal symbolism overlap. Often represented by her woodland elf avatar and a one-eyed teddy bear companion, her work carries both playful and darker tones. Pieces like “Flower Composition” and “Matryoshktail” show how she mixes surreal imagery with meticulous detail, treating every object as the start of a story. At times her work turns outward, as in “Women Internationals Day,” where she uses her visual language for direct activism.

Q: You often picture yourself as a woodland elf with a teddy bear by your side. What does that alter ego allow you to express?
A: Elves are fascinating and ethereal creatures. The way I portray myself often takes two tones: silly and quirky, or serious and more traditional, where I recreate the story with my teddy bear. The first version is probably who I really am, and the second who I perhaps would like to be: an elf who belongs to a world far from ours and who, in her mushroom home, deals with herbs and spells.
The Kumani teddy bear that accompanies me was born from the need to give substance and image to my artist’s name: in short, I am only the bearer of this name, but Kumani's identity is a giant teddy bear with one eye and no mouth. In the name Kumani, Kuma means bear in Japanese. He is a fundamental element in my journey as an elf artist, because he is also part of my professional logo.
This bear is essentially the protector of the bearer of his name, that is, me, my alter ego, the one who found him, cared for him, and gave him form and vitality. He reassures her in dark times and often keeps her company during her aimless travels. Despite not having a mouth, his silences are worth a thousand words. During my adolescence, and still today, I was always very shy and sometimes "accused" of speaking very little or not at all, making me seem almost boring and uninteresting. Kumani bear is probably a representation of this past of mine, which in this case is loved and accepted by the older me despite not being able to speak.


Q: Your work swings between playful colors and darker tones. What decides which mood takes over?
A: Emotions certainly play a leading role in these cases, or specific events that change my mood very quickly. I often have ideas that reflect my current state of mind that I put down on paper. I don't know how many drawings and concept sketches I've started without completing the work. Often, this is because fleeting emotions prefer to abandon my creative flair and return when the time is right.
However, even in the liveliest tones, I often conceal my insecurities or a search for refuge in a world where there are no problems or things that don't work. Where I can be myself, surrounded by things I love or that I would like to do or be, where there are no prejudices or imminent responsibilities that bring you back to a reality set and molded for everyone.
Ultimately, every piece of my art is an expression of myself, from the quirkiest and most colorful to the most serious and dark.
Q: In "Flower Composition" you built a digital bouquet. What was the best part of making it?
A: I'd say the best part was being able to create 3D flowers for the first time and being completely satisfied. The vision of the completed composition came at the end, making me feel almost like a florist in my own flower shop.
I let myself go and played with shapes, even creating imaginary flowers and plants and fantastical forms. At the beginning of the project, I only had a few individual flowers in mind, especially the forget-me-nots and the blue orchids, my favorite flower that I couldn't help but include. Since the idea of the bouquet was to convey their "plasticity," the chosen colors further added a sense of artificiality to the entire composition. Blue orchids don't exist in nature, but only when artificially colored, but they remain my favorite color regardless.
Q: "Matryoshktail" shows a mermaid doll drinking her smaller self. Why are you drawn to that kind of surreal image?
A: I often create my 3D scenes in very similar ways, with the subject in the center and details all around. I'd like to experiment more with the presentation of my illustrations, having already created the theme — the cocktail — and a more complex subject like the mermaid, which already has its details and colors, making the scene pop. The solution was to avoid adding more details around the subjects so as not to lose focus and instead use them to play with the composition.
Compared to drawing digitally, I find it fun to be able to move and rotate the components of my 3D illustrations as if they were something physical. I like the concept of matryoshkas, which I find very fascinating, so the surreal quality came from that, as if you were looking inside the mermaid's head or into a fantasy world, in a loop.
Q: You’ve said perfection kills art. How do you keep that in check when building detailed 3D worlds?
A: It's very difficult to complete a work if you strive for perfection. I was taught that in the world of art, the pursuit of perfection is counterproductive. Since our world functions primarily around time, continuing to try to create something finished and perfect would never allow us to finish anything.
We'll continue to work on it forever, and eventually we'll end up hating what we've created up to that point.
When I began my journey, details were my enemies. I hated them. I didn't want to "waste time" chasing them because I saw them as obstacles I thought I couldn't overcome or achieve in my work. In life, I'm a maximalist, and this has helped me overcome this fear of daring and adding. In many cases, it can be a flaw or at least a difficulty for me not to add excessive elements to work that don't require them, because they always seem too empty.
In my own 3D illustrations, I love when I find brilliant themes or ideas that allow me to design a work where every corner has something to observe and wonder why it is there, reading the story that the details of the illustration want to tell to those who see it, and the wonder of those who see it slowly makes me think that I have already achieved personal perfection.

Q: With "Women Internationals Day" you went straight into activism. Why was that the right moment?
A: I believe there's always a right time to do activism. I'm usually a silent supporter of issues that unfortunately plague our world every day, sharing, donating, or signing petitions. In this case, this year I wanted to contribute with something direct and with an important message and not remain silent. As an artist, I often feel guilty for not doing more with my art. What mainly stops me is trying to create something that gets straight to the point and fulfills its mission. Doing something because it needs to be done often leads to the opposite, failing to raise the right awareness in the right way. The power of the giantess in my illustration, overcoming obstacles and shouting "Keep fighting" at the top of her lungs, gave me a certain energy, especially while I was creating it. Her figure is sinuous and unlikely to break in the face of the constant hardships that all women around the world have endured since the dawn of time. A good idea carries a good message.