10 Young Artists Leading the New Wave of Dominican Art

The Dominican Republic, like many Caribbean countries, is sometimes considered artistically isolated, but in recent decades nation-wide initiatives have attempted to connect the island with the international art scene. In 1983, the Altos de Chavón School of Design affiliated with New York City’s Parsons School of Design, where students who complete a degree at Altos could continue their education. The Davidoff Art Initiative, founded in 2012, offers native artists residencies in Berlin, Beijing, and New York City, while private galleries, such as Casa Quien, provide the necessary platform to support an emergent class of Dominican and Dominican-American talent.

A new generation of Dominican artists is more internationally synced than ever before and coming to terms with a new era of globalization. A rise in migration trends to the United States, a feeling of displacement in far-off cities, and the ever-growing tourism industry that perpetuates stereotypes of exotic women and landscapes are common themes for these new artists.

We consulted Amy Hussein and Yina Jiménez Suriel, founder and curator of Casa Quien respectively, to distinguish 10 young artists leading the new wave of Dominican art.