📍Guyana
Dominique Hunter is a multi-disciplinary visual artist living and working in Guyana. She received her BFA from the Barbados Community College in 2015 and secured the Leslie’s Legacy Foundation Award for Most Outstanding Work. Past residencies include Caribbean Linked IV (Aruba) and the Vermont Studio Center Residency (USA), following the Reed Foundation Fellowship award. Hunter has exhibited locally as well as in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Miami. Her work has been acquired by several prestigious collections including Guyana’s National Collection. Dominique is currently based in Georgetown, Guyana.
A few weeks ago, Dominique spoke to HOT SUN Caribbean Contemporary Art about the way in which her art practice has been impacted by the last two years, within the context of the global pandemic.
Image: Dominique Hunter in studio, Guyana 2022
“Art makers in the region need continuous support financially but also, support in terms of network building and resource sharing…It’s hard to keep the momentum going when opportunities are few and far between.”
Dominique Hunter
HSCCA: Dominique, how would you describe the past year 2021/ 2022 ?
DH: I would liken 2021/2022 to a quiet storm. A lot has been happening, but also not happening at the same time. It has been my least productive period (in terms of completing work) but I’m learning to embrace each new season for what it is and look for the lessons in between.
HSCCA: What have been the main challenges for you as an artist based in the continental Caribbean? Would you say these challenges are linked to the covid-19 pandemic or did they exist before?
DH: I would say my main challenge has been trying to maintain a healthy work/rest balance without feeling any of the guilt that would usually follow. I would feel like I was doing too much and needed to rest, but once I started resting I would feel like I’m not doing enough and needed to work. I think I was struggling with this prior to the pandemic but covid really exacerbated everything.
HSCCA: What does your current work engage about?
DH: I’m still trying to figure out exactly what the work is about right now. There are broad themes of migration (uprooting and resettling), feelings of discomfort, uncertainty and even nostalgia that connect each piece but I feel like I’m approaching a point where I will need to be a bit more decisive about where I want the work to go.
Image insert Work in Progress (2021 – 2022). Courtesy the Artist Dominique Hunter
Title: A thousand times before and a thousand times more…
Mixed media collage and paint on canvas, 48 x 60 inches
HSCCA: Is there a personal narrative or connection to the themes you are pursuing right now?
DH: There’s always a personal connection to the themes I choose to work with. Usually this is how I’m able to work through my emotions and all of the noise in my head. As someone who relies on those temporary, mini migrations to sustain my creative practice, I can definitely relate to the discomfort and uncertainty that accompany those movements (particularly since the pandemic has interrupted all of that).
HSCCA: In your opinion what does an Artmaker need to continue working within/ from the Caribbean space ?
DH: Art makers in the region need continuous support financially but also, support in terms of network building and resource sharing/pooling. It’s hard to keep the momentum going when opportunities are few and far between.
Interview with Adeline Gregoire