MARIA DOMINGUEZ

STUDIO: The Healers Series

Paintings - Healer Series

painting Yo Soy de Aqui by Maria Dominguez. painting Yo Soy de Aqui by Maria Dominguez. "Arachna; Sandra", 36 x 60 inches, acrylic on canvas, 2016 "Rio Grande", 44 x 66 inches, acrylic, paper, gold leaf on canvas, 2014

A healer is defined as a person who through prayer and faith heals others. As inspiration for my Healer painting series, I selected actual women who’ve gone beyond prayer to deliver their healing energies to others. In their spiritual drive for truth and progress they’ve used their poetry, stories, and activism as a vehicle to heal themselves and others while building community. “Yo Soy de Aqui“ (I am From Here) depicts Evelina Lopez Antonetty, a civil rights activist who helped children with education & school environments. “Penumbre” is a self-healing-portrait I created while sheltering in place during the chaos of CoVid 19 pandemic. In “Arachna” I portray poet/writer Sandra Maria Esteves who is member of the legendary Nuyorican poetry movement and uses themes of social justice in her work. Finally, writer/poet and civil rights activist Julia de Burgos is portrayed in “Rio Grande” named after her famous poem for a river in her beloved Puerto Rico.

Mix Media and Collages - Healer Series

"Celestial", 24 x 36 inches, mixed media on paper, 2014 "Marshes", 24 x 36 inches, mixed media on paper, 2014 "Rivers", 24 x 36 inches, mixed media on paper, 2014 "Breeze", 24 x 36 inches, mixed media on paper, 2014 "Oceans", 24 x 36 inches, mixed media on paper, 2014 "Fire", 24 x 36 inches, mixed media on paper, 2014 "Woods", 24 x 36 inches, mixed media on paper, 2014

A gentle touch, soft music, dew on grass, Earth’s flowing waters, even our faith in religion; all become healing aspects, when we seek it. The Healers series began in 2003, during a period where I needed to express my personal journey, while serving my family and community, towards our own healing. By using images of my body and various interpretations of hearts, I was able to manifest my goal.

The Healers created during 2017/13 became a fun and liberating exploration. The fragmented spaces, shapes and colors, lead me thru a passage where imagined unknown female images, icons and symbols, were born. Although the colors and shapes collided, they all became harmonious. These images soon took a life of their own and assumed individual healing characters. Some became regal, others saintly, as they merged into reflections of hope: healers of polluted rivers, oceans, air, the celestials and our body and soul. They challenged me towards new discoveries of imaginary possibilities where healers can now mend our global needs.

(Selected Giclee prints of Healers are available for sale. If interested please contact the artist for additional information)