About Domenica

I am a Hispappalachian mixed media artist, using heritage textile and fiber art techniques to create heirloom artworks out of waste plastics. My goal with this work is to shift the developed world’s collective view of plastic from “disposable” to “heirloom material” by highlighting its operational life through the context of heritage crafts. Plastic is a “legacy material” even if we treat it as disposable. The pieces I make are geared toward all the thoughtful, curious people who enjoy the unexpected combination. Kind souls who aren’t content to let the natural environment be consumed by industry also enjoy my work. Plastic is an heirloom material. Durable, flexible, reusable, colorful, and a bunch of other properties, making it lasting and fun to work with.

My work is heavily influenced by a combination of the skills taught to me by the women in my life and the aesthetics of Catalan Modernism and Art Nouveau. The work is equally likely to feature Gaudi-style mosaics, swirling natural forms or stitches that would be at home on a hanky your grandmother made.

Biography

I have lived in West Virginia all my life, but have hispappalachian roots that stretch far south and across an ocean. I grew up creek splashing, gardening and always always making something with my Spanish, Mexican, Catalan, and Appalachian family in Shoals and Cross Lanes. My relatives did a great job of making the wide world feel interesting and absolutely connected. My dad taught me the satisfaction of working with my hands and my mom revealed to me the beautiful hidden realms of birds and bugs. I took all of these things with me to college along with a love of technology where I earned my B.F.A. from Shepherd University. Since then I have been building a life here in West Virginia making art in the overlaps of craft, nature and science.

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Other Creative Skills

Plastic
Mixed Media