About Rafaela Luna

Rafaela Luna Art Statement

 

My art addresses social tensions, emphasizing racial and gender differences. My work depicts images of female figures. Likewise, the composition alludes to the stress caused by the opposition between conventionalism and the forced masks imposed by traditional stereotypes.

I consciously observe how people perceive each other. My artistic practice explores the segmentation that divides society through the concepts based on characteristics of race, ethnicity, gender or simply physical appearance. I seek to make evident the different types of stereotypes through the images, forcing the viewer to become aware of misconceptions that they might have and the roots of stereotypes in a particular environment.

Shortly after moving to New York City from the Dominican Republic, and as NYC being  so diverse,  I got  involved with people from different countries,  I  realize the great differences that they experience on a daily basis,  related to the biases that persist in ideological constructs, and I began to represent it in my work by female figures of different ethnicities.

At the same time I think that storytelling and memory play a huge role in the conception of my work. From my childhood memories I am able to construct my discourse through images that are present in the culture that I grew up in. All the iconography- patterns- colors to which I was exposed to are making their way back to my canvas. Moreover my own bilingualism has forced me to look within, to be more careful in my expressions and therefore to be more meticulous in my artistic practice.

Observations, interviews, newspaper articles, research reviews and life experiences, not exclusively mine but from the people that I had been close to, have been instrumental in creating my art work. I am inspired by women, not only because of my condition as a woman but also because historically women have lived at a disadvantage. And even today and since I am a woman who is part of the so -called minority group in the US. I don’t know which is worse: machism or racism that we still suffer in the  21st century.

Education:

  • MA candidate in Art Education, City University of New York, CUNY
  • BA in Advertising, Creativity and Management. Autonomous University of Santo Domingo. DR
  • Certification in Cultural Management and Development, AEICID- CCE 
  • Associate in Visual Arts, National School of Fine Arts, Santo Domingo. D.R
  • Specialization in painting, National School of Fine Arts, Santo Domingo. D.R
  • Associate Degree in Publicity Art. Autonomous University of Santo Domingo. D.R. 2021 Fellow recipient  DEAR- CCCADI

Exhibitions:

  • 2022 Creating Home:  Immigrant Perspectives. Gallery 4140. New York
  • 2021 Three Latina Artists: Truth and Beauty. Marie Louise Trichet Gallery, Wisdom House.  Litchfield, Connecticut 
  • 2021- Uptown Images Virtual Art Show, Hebrew Tabernacle of Washington Height
  • www.uptownimages-ht.org
  • 2020- For the Love of Art:  An Appropriated Intentions Exhibition, Fort George Hill, Dyckman Street Train Station – Tren 1
  • 2020- Social Reckoning – eMeLe-K, Clemente Soto Vélez Educational and Cultural Center 
  • 2018-  Untrue Belief – Oversimplifications. LACW, BHC
  • 2015-  Roots-  A Caribbean Rooted Artist Exhibition.  LACW, BHC
  • 2015- Demystifying Feminism. Cohen Library Archives. CCNY Archives and Special Collections Division in Collaboration with the Graduate Art History Society.
  • 2013- “Tokonoma- Histories of Home in the Heights”. NoMAA-MOMA Multidisciplinary Project. Community Board 12, Manhattan, New York
  • 2013 -“Immigrant Too” Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NOMAA) New York. NY 
  • 2013- “Women in the Heights”,  Contemporary Women Artist of Northern Manhattan. Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) New York. NY 
  • 2012- “Awakening” Solo Show. Rio Gallery, New York. NY 
  • 2011- “Woman in Love” Group Exhibition.  Altos de Chavón, La Romana. DR
  • 2010- Elit-Tile- Fourth International Ceramic Tile Triennial. Centro Leon, DR
  • 2010 -Art Contest “Paleta de Nickel”. Candido Bido Museum, DR
  • 2006 -Elit-Tile Third International Ceramic Tile Triennial. Centro Leon, Santiago, DR
  • 2004- Las Americas- 4th Exhibition Painting Contest. Casa de Teatro, DR
  • 2004- Long Play. Contemporary Visual Art – Group Exhibition.  UNESCO, DR
  • 2003 -Umbrella Project, Caribbean Biennial. Museum of Modern Art, DR
  • 1999- “Dialogue Two”, Benetton, Santo Domingo, D.R. 
  • 1998 -“Empty Rooms”, Solo Show. Spanish Cultural Center, DR
  • 1998- El Limon – Art as a Tool for Development, CCE, DR
  • 1997- National Biennial of Fine Art, Museum of Modern Art (MAM), DR
  • 1997- “100 Views of the Ozama River”. Academy of Science of the Dominican Republic.
  • 1996 -Contest Honoring Antonio Prats Ventós, Casa de Espana. Santo Domingo, DR
  • Awards and recognitions
  • 2004- First Prize in Las Americas, 4th Painting Contest. Casa de Teatro, Santo Domingo, DR
  • 2004- First Mention in the 4th Painting Contest. Las Americas, Santo Domingo, DR
  • 1998- “Empty Rooms” Nominated as Best First Individual Show by the Dominican Art Critic Association, Inc. (ADCA), DR
  • 1998 -First Mention in the 3rd JAD- Painting Contest, Santo Domingo, DR
  • 1994-  First Prize in Printmaking- National School of Fine Arts, Santo Domingo, DR
  • 1994-  First Prize in Art History- National School of Fine Arts. Santo Domingo, DR 
  • 1991- Honors for Outstanding Students, Art Department, Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, DR