DRAWINGS

IRIS PEREZ INTERNATIONAL ARTIST FROM DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

The passionate Opus of Iris Perez

Marianne de Tolentino

Iris Pérez is an artist who does count. It would be inappropriate to refer to her as a mounting talent as indeed, she has proven her seriousness, her consistency and her unrestricted creativity. Since the exhibition she presented in Fine Arts in 1999, she has been standing out thanks to a style more and more personal as time goes on, offering works which are rich, abundant and engaged, rendering obvious the pleasure of creating and searching…

She was trained in the very National School of Fine Arts where she lectures today. Her art alternates between drawings, paintings – both being her main genres - , sculpture and recently ceramics. It is worth mentioning that Iris had been selected amongst nearly 5000 candidates worldwide to participate in a planetary collective workshop at the Athens Olympic Games where she received a noted recognition for her sculptures installation. Since, she has worked with an incredible energy and has had no other choice but to exhibit her works.

If we mention her engagement as a fundamental aspect of her art, it is because Iris Perez has committed herself to the defense of the human condition and to the condition of abused and exploited women in particular. Thus, she plunges herself and us in the process, in the problems of the City, in a “human habitat” which imprisons creatures in fragmented and closed spaces and which, despite their density, maintain or increase loneliness, separation and scarcity of communication.

It is necessary to mention that the artist has never lost track of her psychological and social objectives nor the control of the means, although her passion for Art has culminated in an impressive production. Similarly she expressed herself in total liberty, the way she wants to, the way she feels it, without ever abandoning authenticity, innocence and the freshness of the soul, qualities transmitted by her protagonists.

Who does not know Iris Perez could think that her drawings are kids’ drawing or that she has copied them. Of course this is not so. We know that many great modern artists were fascinated by the creative easiness and ingeniousness of early age. Let us mention Kandinsky, Klee and Picasso, at times capable as well of identifying with childlike expression, as a form of play. The young Dominican artist traces these figures, spontaneously, repeatedly, without any effort and successfully, unlike others who have tried, in vain, to do so.

Her art is about evolution towards simplification and shows the agile transformation the clumsy and quick sketches drawn by the little ones, even when it seems to be mimetic, into elementary figures. Iris Perez knows how to represent space, nearly always bi-dimensionally and with a voluntary lack of perspective. We should talk about spatial organization with the construction of the image rather than composition.
She adds structures and graphical elements be they abstract or neo-figurative to her pictorial or sketched figures, often the center of her environment. We observe a particular variety as far as her line is concerned, from fineness to thickness: circular, straight, elliptical, sinuous, open, parallel, closed and oval. A true lexical exercise for a more than sensitive geometry! The impulses of her gesture seem inexhaustible, yet also under control – we need to mention, and act within the support0

CONTACTO

Republica Dominicana: 809-518-0374, 809-534-9999, Mobil: 829-233-7743

USA: 973 -772-6347, 809-950-7146

irisviperez@gmail.com, irispercrear@gmail.com

IRIS PEREZ
irisviperez@gmail.com

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA
Iris Pérez was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She studied Art at the National school of Fine Arts and at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD). She specialized in painting and attended the sculpture workshops of the masters Leopoldo Pérez and Domingo Luz. She also participated in various courses and workshops throughout the country.

Individual Exhibition and project
2008: -Tied to the heart, Altos de Chavón Principal Gallery
2007 -Iris Perez: Recent Work, Performance Art Forum (PAF), Reims, France.
-Artist –in-residence (drawing). Le Parc, Pampelonne, France
-Artist –in-residence (painting). PAF, Reims. France.
2006 -Iris Pérez: Retrospectiva of drawing and paintings. Marisall Gallery.
Zagreb, Croatia
-Circuit of individual exhibitions:
-Rakú, Women of Fire. Las asas Reales Museum, Santo Domingo, D.R.
-Human Habitat. Arawak Art Gallery, Santo Domingo, D. R.
-Strange Body. Santiago Cultural Centre, Santiago, D. R.
-Work in Paper and Binders of Love. Cariforum Culture Centre, Sto. Dgo. R.D
-After the Fire. Amicus Contemporary Art, Santo Domingo, D. R.
2003 -Marginal States series. Boricua University, New York, U.S.
2000 -Hidden Spaces. Casa de Bastidas, Santo Domingo, D. R.
From the series Hidden Spaces. Cuba Collection Fine Art, Miami, Florida, U. S.
1998 -Rental Zone. Palacio Consistorial de Santiago, Santiago, D. N. and Palace of Fine Art, Santo Domingo, D. N.
1994 -Homage to the Family. United Nations Office, Santo Domingo, D. R.
1993 -Scenes from Life. National School of Fine Arts, Santo Domingo, D. R.

National and International Events
2007 -Women of the World collective exhibition, World tour opened in 2000 (White Columns, New York); 2001- University of Maryland, Stockholm Sweden, University of New England, Me., Tucson Museum, Arizona. 2002-Women’s Art Gallery, Ohio, Museum of the Southwest, Texas. 2003 – International Museum of Women’s. Mobile Museum, Alabama, Brenau University, Ga. 2004-Tallin Art Hall, Estonia, Skureyri Museum, Iceland, Gerduburg Cultural Center, Reykjavik. 2005 World Financial Center, NY. Women’s Museum, Dallas, New Orleans Contemporary Art Centre, Simmons College, Boston, Legion Arts. -Villa Saugy Ginebra, Suiza
-Ayuntamiento Amman, Jordania, 2007 -" Coredo”, Tokio, Japón, 2006, the most recently at arcadia Art Centre, Lafayette, L. A.
2006 -The secret Garden. Primo Piano Gallery, Lecce, Italy.
-Anonymous. Exhibition of Drawings. Berlin, Germany.
2005 -Unclaimed Luggage. Circulo de Bellas Artes, Madrid, Spain.
-Collective Exhibition of Dominican Arts, Habitat for Humanity, Manhattan, U. S.
2004 -Art Olympiads Athens 2004. Sculture project selected to represent the Dominican Republic at the Olympic Games, Athens, Greece.
2000 -Auction. Venezuela Aids 2000, Miami Florida, U.S.


National Collective Exhibitions.
2006 -Drawing Fair. Museum of Contemporary Drawings, Santo Domingo, D.R.
-Daughters of the Caribbean. Casa de España, Santo Domingo, D. R.
2005- -National Biennial of Visual Arts. Museum of Modern Art, S. Dgo ,D. R.
2004 -E. León Jimenez Art Contest. Center León, Santiago, D. R.
Homage to Pablo Neruda. Book Fair, Casa de Teatro and Chilean Embassy, Sto. Dgo.
2003 -Caribbean In situ. Casa de España, Santo Domingo, D. R.
-22nd National Biennial of visual Arts, Museum of Modern Art, Sto. Dgo.
-New Proposals: Exhibition of Instalations. Hotel Lina, Santo Domingo, D. R.
2002 -E. León Jimenez Art Contest. Santiago, D. N.
-27 +27 Freedom Action. CODAP, Santo Domingo, D. R.
2001 -Divergent: Painting Exhibition and Installation for the 4th Caribbean Biennial of Visual Arts. CODAP, Santo Domingo, D. R.
1999 -21st National of Visual Art. Museum of Modern Art, Santo Domingo, D. R.
-12 th E. León Jimenez Biennial, Santiago and Santo Domingo
1997 -Performance – Installation of Hunger Dance. Casa de Bastidas, CODAP and Museum of Modern Art, Santo Domingo, D. R.
-Artists for the Homeland. CODAP, Santo Domingo, D. R.
-2nd Visual Arts National Festival. Museum of Modern Art, Sto.Dgo. D. R.
1996 - Collective Exhibition, Altos de Chavon School of Design, La Romana, D.R.
1994 -8 th March:The Dominican Woman and Her Art. Casa de Bastidas, Sto.Dgo
1991 -18 th National Biennial of Visual Arts. Modern Art Gallery, Sto. Dgo., D.R.
1990 - Expo-Art UASD. Museum of Dominican Man, Santo Domingo, D. R.

Mural and Sculpture:
2007 -Where The Spring of Life Dwells. Nuñez de Cáceres Park, Sto. Dgo. D. R.
2006 -Collective Mural. Produced with the Collaboration of the United Nations, Cabreto, Santo Domingo, D. R.
2005 -Collective Mural. Rehabilitation Centre, Santo Domingo, D. R.

Iris Pérez works as a teacher in the National School of Fine Arts, the Museum of Contemporary Drawing, the Latin Academy of Visual Arts and Rehabilitation Center. She has also taught in the Faculty of Humanities of the INTEC University, done children’s workshops in the Museum of Contemporary Drawing and given classes in the Central Bank, amongst others. She is an external consultant in the area of capacity building of teachers in the Department of Art Education of the Ministry of Education.
Since 2001 she has been involved in the project of Public Art: Contemporary Actions, doing community work and interventions together with other artists, students of Art and members of the country’s communities. As a result of this project, she was selected to be a member of the jury of the Ford’s Foundation and the Environment International prizes. She has received numerous awards and token of gratitude both within the country and abroad.
She has participated in specialized courses and workshops in ceramics, engraving and Art History in the following institutions: The National School of Fine Arts, The Museum of Modern Art, Amaco Caribe, the School of Design of Altos de Chavón, the Dominican College of Plastic Arts, the Spanish Cultural Centre, the Pedro Henríquez Ureña University and the Ignerís Foundation amongst others. She is a technical and Web designer as well.
She participated in the 1st Latin American Workshop in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and in the Regional Symposium “Incidence of Pre-Columbian Culture in Art, Arawak Inc., Autonomous University of Santo Domingo.

Individual Exhibition and project
2008: -Tied to the heart, Altos de Chavón Principal Gallery
2007 -Iris Perez: Recent Work, Performance Art Forum (PAF), Reims, France.
-Artist –in-residence (drawing). Le Parc, Pampelonne, France
-Artist –in-residence (painting). PAF, Reims. France.
2006 -Iris Pérez: Retrospectiva of drawing and paintings. Marisall Gallery.
Zagreb, Croatia
-Circuit of individual exhibitions:
-Rakú, Women of Fire. Las asas Reales Museum, Santo Domingo, D.R.
-Human Habitat. Arawak Art Gallery, Santo Domingo, D. R.
-Strange Body. Santiago Cultural Centre, Santiago, D. R.
-Work in Paper and Binders of Love. Cariforum Culture Centre, Sto. Dgo. R.D
-After the Fire. Amicus Contemporary Art, Santo Domingo, D. R.
2003 -Marginal States series. Boricua University, New York, U.S.
2000 -Hidden Spaces. Casa de Bastidas, Santo Domingo, D. R.
From the series Hidden Spaces. Cuba Collection Fine Art, Miami, Florida, U. S.
1998 -Rental Zone. Palacio Consistorial de Santiago, Santiago, D. N. and Palace of Fine Art, Santo Domingo, D. N.
1994 -Homage to the Family. United Nations Office, Santo Domingo, D. R.
1993 -Scenes from Life. National School of Fine Arts, Santo Domingo, D. R.

National and International Events
2007 -Women of the World collective exhibition, World tour opened in 2000 (White Columns, New York); 2001- University of Maryland, Stockholm Sweden, University of New England, Me., Tucson Museum, Arizona. 2002-Women’s Art Gallery, Ohio, Museum of the Southwest, Texas. 2003 – International Museum of Women’s. Mobile Museum, Alabama, Brenau University, Ga. 2004-Tallin Art Hall, Estonia, Skureyri Museum, Iceland, Gerduburg Cultural Center, Reykjavik. 2005 World Financial Center, NY. Women’s Museum, Dallas, New Orleans Contemporary Art Centre, Simmons College, Boston, Legion Arts. -Villa Saugy Ginebra, Suiza
-Ayuntamiento Amman, Jordania, 2007 -" Coredo”, Tokio, Japón, 2006, the most recently at arcadia Art Centre, Lafayette, L. A.
2006 -The secret Garden. Primo Piano Gallery, Lecce, Italy.
-Anonymous. Exhibition of Drawings. Berlin, Germany.
2005 -Unclaimed Luggage. Circulo de Bellas Artes, Madrid, Spain.
-Collective Exhibition of Dominican Arts, Habitat for Humanity, Manhattan, U. S.
2004 -Art Olympiads Athens 2004. Sculture project selected to represent the Dominican Republic at the Olympic Games, Athens, Greece.
2000 -Auction. Venezuela Aids 2000, Miami Florida, U.S.

The characters, mainly women, be they standing, facing or profiled, often depict the entire body and are generally positioned in a line. Few characters are isolated but this does not mean that they actually communicate as far as she is concerned. The dehumanization of the world, overpopulation and shortages do not facilitate interchanges and fraternization. This is the message, intended to trigger reflection, which Iris Pérez sends us.

Lately, her drawings and paintings have tended to identify with one another: the techniques and the supports are merging; the separation between categories is being blurred. Iris Pérez is an example of the “globalizing” tendency although she persists in making the distinction between Drawing and Painting. We respect her for that… However, for us, it is simply a passionate Opus, overflowing with humor and tenderness. And that’s enough.

Marianne de Tolentino
Member of the Administration Board of the International Association of Art Critics.

PAINTING