Dominican Republic's vibrant art comes to Korea

A view of “The Republic of Color” installation, an exhibition shedding light on the art of the Dominican Republic, at Gallery Mun in Dongdaemun Design Plaza, through Nov. 28 / Courtesy of the Embassy of the Dominican Republic to Korea

By Kwon Mee-yoo

"Culture is like the business card of a country," said Federico Alberto Cuello Camilo, the ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Korea, introducing an exhibition that gives a glimpse into vibrant Dominican culture. Ambassador Cuello Camilo took the lead in organizing "The Republic of Color," an exhibit featuring the works of 25 Dominican masters and currently underway at Gallery Mun, in Dongdaemun Design Plaza, through Nov. 28.

"Culture reveals what we are and what your personality is. When I arrived, to my pleasant surprise, I found that the Dominican culture was not something new for Koreans. There are academies teaching Bachata, one of our musical forms, and the fact that Korea is already dancing Bachata was a very pleasant surprise," Cuello Camilo said.

"Our cultures are already in interaction, but we needed to complement this ongoing interaction with more displays of our creativity. This art exhibition, I think, is a very nice way to continue with exchange to get to know each other, and once we get to know each other, many other things happen."

Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Korea Federico Alberto Cuello Camilo speaks during the opening ceremony of "The Republic of Color," an exhibition at Gallery Mun in Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Seoul, Nov. 4. Courtesy of the Embassy of the Dominican Republic to Korea

The ambassador was inspired by the 2015 documentary, "La Republica del Color" (The Republic of Color), which sheds light on the history of the Dominican Republic's art.

He originally wanted to present the artworks alongside the documentary, but the documentary is already planned to be screened in Korea during the Latin American Film Festival next year on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the Dominican Republic and Korea.

He attributes the vibrancy of Dominican art to its diversity, starting from the native Taino people and the arrival of Europeans and Africans in the 16th century, to Asian and Middle Eastern influences beginning in the late 19th century.

"Basically, it's a reflection of the intensity of the Dominican personality, which is a result of the racial mix. After all, don't we all come from somewhere else, give or take a few centuries?" he said.

"Dominican art is clearly very colorful and it reflects the feelings of the time. Some of the paintings are our reaction to the political situation. We went through a dramatic transition to democracy more or less at the same time that Korea initiated its transition. But also (it reflects) the subtlety of our feelings. Dominicans have very strong, passionate feelings, who work hard while always having a good time. That's probably why 97 percent of tourists choose to come back for more.”

The exhibition features an interesting mix of portraits, landscapes and abstract paintings from renowned Dominican artists. Four curators ― Danilo de Los Santos, Marianne de Tolentino, Mary Loly de Severino and Myrna Guerrero Villalona ― picked the artworks for the exhibition from the country's public and private museums.

Unfortunately, the original artworks couldn't come, but the photographic reproductions printed on canvas allow visitors to catch a glimpse of the vibrancy of Dominican art.

Jaime Colson's “Marchantes” (The Marchers), left, and Jose Cestero's "Bailando Perico Ripiao Hasta el Amanecer" (Dancing Merengue until Dawn), are on view at “The Republic of Color” exhibition at Gallery Mun in Dongdaemun Design Plaza. Courtesy of the Embassy of the Dominican Republic to Korea

The landscapes capture the lushness of the country's vegetation and the golden tones of the sunset.

Jose Cestero's "Bailando Perico Ripiao Hasta el Amanecer" (Dancing Merengue until Dawn), the ambassador's personal favorite, captures the heart of the Dominican culture.

"People are dancing the night away. They are dancing Merengue until dawn. How do you know its Merengue? Because here in the center, we have the drums from Africa, the accordion from Europe and the instrument called 'Guira,' with a scraper. These three together are enough to give you the live music for Merengue," he said.

"Surrounding the three performers, you have the couples in a rural scene, dancing the night away. You couldn't have a more emblematic picture for the Dominican culture than this one. That's why it's my personal favorite."

Portraits show diverse personalities of Dominican people. Candido Bido's "El Paseo de las 10 a.m." (The Walk at 10 a.m.) shows an example of Dominica's colors. The artist passed away 10 years ago and there is a retrospective at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Santo Domingo showcasing his immense legacy. It was organized by Tolentino, one of this exhibit's curators who happens to be the director of the National Museum of Fine Arts.

"I think he embodies the vibrancy of Dominican colors. This painting here, for example, is of a peasant girl, holding the dove of peace in the middle of a bright field at sunset, and the intense blue sky of the tropics with rural architecture and mountains."

Eligio Pichardo's abstract expressionism painting, "El Violinista," (The Violinist) reflects a darker time in the Republic.

"It's a fiddler, but he looks a bit angry and repressed. Look at the colors. These are not vibrant colors, but sad colors. This was painted in the late 1950s, which was the worst period of dictatorship. There was strong repression and a lot of young people, including my father, were put in jail for fighting for democracy against the dictator. I think it's a reflection of the dire moods of the time."

Visitors take a look at Dominican artworks at “The Republic of Color” exhibition at Gallery Mun in Dongdaemun Design Plaza. Courtesy of the Embassy of the Dominican Republic to Korea

Jorge Severino's "Una Tranquila Tarde de Otono" (A Quiet Autumn Afternoon) depicts an elegantly dressed woman.

"Jorge Severino specializes in valuing the dignity of woman, in particular, those of the Black race. They are so beautiful and elegantly dressed, and he became emblematic of those artists who are proud of the African element of Dominican culture," Cuello Camilo explained.

The ambassador plans to introduce Dominican contemporary art to sophisticated Korean collectors next year, as well as host a concert of Dominican jazz musician Michel Camilo, winner of four Grammy Awards. Through culture, Cuello Camilo wants to expand the ties between the two countries into more fields.

“Film is doing extremely well already, with over 80 productions per year taking advantage of year-round good weather, state-of-the-art facilities and the same incentive regime found in the U.K. Right now the Korean series 'Suriname' is about to conclude production before coming out through Netflix next year."

One of the ambassador's other plans is to host an investment promotion seminar.

"I think the pandemic left a clear lesson that countries need to have different places from which to deliver goods and services as opposed to concentrating everything in a single place. So the Dominican Republic is an ideal location for 'nearshoring,' because we have free trade agreements with the U.S. and the EU with very low labor costs and a generous incentive regime for foreign investment," he said.

"There are 19 Korean firms already operating in the Dominican Republic taking advantage of this winning combination. My goal is to have more Korean firms in the new sectors in which we are competitive: medical devices and electronics."