Bryan Fernandez
Bio
Bryan Fernandez is a first and second-generation Dominican American from Washington Heights, New York. Additionally, he's lived in several Dominican communities throughout the northeast But is always brought back to the heights in one way or another. As of May 2022, he graduated from the School Of Visual Arts with honors with a bachelor's in fine arts. (with a minor in creative writing). He still currently resides in Washington Heights and has exhibited works in galleries nationally and internationally. He is also a grantee from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation and has work in the X museum collection in Beijing, China.
Artist Statement
‘It’s one thing to be looked at, and another to be seen.”, Caleb Azumah Nelson, Open Water
I am a Dominican-American artist from Washington Heights, New York—whose artistic practice centers around the Visibility of marginalized communities of my Cultural Background. As an Afro-Dominican, I observed my demographic's lack of authentic representation in mainstream media. I also saw the ongoing gentrification of my community in Washington Heights. This saw a decline in the Dominican population and longtime family establishments. In reaction, I create large-scale figurative mixed media pieces to tell stories of who my people are. Countering Colonial and anti-black narratives portrayed within the mainstream. Constructing an archive of our marginalized history for generations to come.