ABOUT MARIA DOMINGUEZ
photo courtesy of Damali Miller
MARIA DOMINGUEZ – ARTIST, MURALIST & EDUCATOR
Dominguez was born in Puerto Rico and is a lifelong resident of New York. Her diverse creations are influenced by environmental, cultural and community experiences. She received her BFA from the School of Visual Arts and established her career as a muralist after an internship with CITYarts.org. Her trajectory led to her commission by The Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City and her permanent glass installation “El –Views” in 2002. In 2023 the 16 original paintings for the "El Views" commission were acquired by the Museum of the City of New York for their permanent collection. Her latest “Sendero Verde” mural in East Harlem was installed and celebrated 2024.
Her work has been recognized with grants from The National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council for the Arts, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. Currently, scholars are surveying her early murals and personal professional documents.
Artist Statement
As a lifelong resident of New York City, I’ve embraced the vitality that many flock to experience. I’m enchanted by its everchanging population, and my work has been influenced by its vibrancy and its pulse. My mural making experiences immerse me in the varied communities throughout the city which led to do my “Urban” series. In the “El Views” collection I depict the residents subtle and simple manners as they go about their daily tasks. For my “Hot House” series the work becomes vibrant with movement and music all influenced by the jazz I listen to daily. In the summer months New York City transforms parks, concert halls and restaurants into music venues. For these captures I use my camara to focus on individual musicians’ expressions and gestures. In the “Healer” series I veer off my visual/listening senses and enter the quiet of my studio where I delve into self-exploration as a woman and tap into my spirituality. My vigorous gestural motions are depicted in my paintings, thru the tearing, and randomly manipulating the paper I create collages. Abstract shapes, and forms slowly surface into female bodies/faces all possessing healing powers that mend our city and planets unbalances.
– 2024