Writing the Feminine: The Representation of Women in Contemporary Dominican Visual Art

This essay examines two prominent Dominican visual artists—Belkis Ramírez and Raquel Paiewonsky—whose work encompasses new media such as video arts, installations, and performances. By defying traditional models of pictorial and sculptural art, these artists have revolutionized the Dominican art scene both thematically and technically. While Ramírez creates installations that include wood carving, xylography, and paint, Paiewonsky often combines textile design and sewing with other artistic media technologies, excelling at photography. Despite the diverse old and new materials and media used in their art, the artists have systematically challenged expectations of the role of women in the arts and in society as a whole. Their artwork explores the devastating impact on women of restricted gender roles and new forms of slavery imposed by patriarchal society, such as forced motherhood, the abortion ban, migration, and feminicides.