Daniel Infante, an artist born of passion

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One of the two stars of the “Around the Bases” exhibit currently going on at the Altos de Chavón Gallery, Daniel Infante, is a tried and true Dominican artist, and we’ve got an exclusive interview with him, come along!  The “Around the Bases” exhibit in Altos de Chavón is an ongoing exposé of art by Dominican artist Daniel Infante and Cuban Wilfredo Torres, two artists that excel in their immensely different styles but present a unique blend of truly amazing art. The following is an interview with one of these two masters, the Dominican landscape artist, Daniel Infante, whose expertise in creating colorful Caribbean landscapes with simple color schemes rivals that of great artists known the world over, such as Guillo Perez. @cdcliving: Let’s start at the very beginning, how were you introduced to the world of art? Since when did you know you wanted to be an artist? Firstly, I’d like to congratulate you for this excellent publication of yours, Casa de Campo Living, and I’d like to thank you for your interest in my art. To answer your question, well, I think I was born to create art, it was always easy to me, and as a teenager I was always interested in drawing, and then I started painting and drawing at home. I was obsessed with paint, it’s odor, how colors mixed… I remember my first course in drawing at the Altos de Chavón School of Art and Design, it was a short course, the kind they offer in the short vacation at the beginning of January. I think it was then that I realized I wanted to dedicate myself entirely to painting. It was a passion that was born back then, and one that has stayed with me since. @cdcliving: We’re aware that you are a graduate of the Altos de Chavón School of Art and Design, and also at the Pan-American School of Modern Art in São Paulo, Brazil. How did these schools influence your artistic growth? They have influenced me a lot. First I had the good fortune to be able to study in the Altos de Chavón School of Art and Design, it’s a place to live and breathe art, beauty and good taste in a very intense manner, a place where great Dominican and foreign artists have so obviously left their mark, a place where we would always find ourselves submerged in the delight of witnessing incomparable ecstasy in art. All of this broadened my horizons and greatly influenced my artistic output, giving it a sense of magic, of mystery. Then at São Paulo I learned the mysteries of a metropolis, of urban life, of contemporary art, of Brazilian color… I think both experiences created a much more original artist with more tools to create, and with more originality too. @cdcliving: Your works have been part of exhibits in the Dominican Republic, Brazil, and Central America. Which countries have you liked best for the way your art was received?  My painting has always had a great reception and acceptance in all the places I have taken it to. I feel very fortunate to have created a job that I like and that awakens interest in audiences, regardless of where it’s shown.

Daniel Infante and Wilfredo Torres with visitors to the exhibit

@cdcliving: What would you recommend for young people who are considering entering the world of art?  I think that anyone who wants to learn about art only needs to work towards their dreams; only through hard work can interesting art be created. @cdcliving: Which of the paintings presented in “Around the Bases” do you like best? Do you feel a particularly strong connection to one over another? In “Around the Bases” there’s an eclectic mix of styles and techniques. At the moment I feel very attracted to the “Cafés” series that’s shown at the exhibition. Chromatically [color-wise], it’s a collection that fits Altos de Chavón very well, and represents the place’s sublimity very well. Whoever visits the exhibit will encounter works of a great artistic quality.

One of the pieces of the “Café” series by Daniel Infante

@cdcliving: How did you meet Wilfredo Torres, and how did the two of you begin to collaborate for events like these? I met Wilfredo Torres at Altos de Chavón, when he was a Resident Artist and my teacher at the School of Art and Design. We’ve always gotten along very well, it’s been a friendship of mutual admiration and care. We ran into each other again when I returned from Brazil, as I went to visit Altos de Chavón and he was doing an exposition at The Gallery at the time. We planned some projects together then, which we have since gotten to make a reality, having done some together by now. We feel very happy and comfortable working together this way. @cdcliving: What inspires you to create your paintings? Do you have a specific process for coming up with images or getting inspiration?  I have a lot of different things that inspire me. I’m very inspired by the human body and the exotic landscape, the tropics, aesthetics and intelligence. In some moments I’m inspired by wild colors and in others by dissonant shapes. Literature, music, and other artists feed my inspiration as well. I get images by looking at art, but reality gives me images as well. My main method is to just start creating, letting the image create itself as the piece goes on. 

“Around the Bases” – Exhibit Where? Altos de Chavón Gallery When? Until the 12th of August, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (the gallery is closed on Wednesdays) Contact: (809) 523 – 8470 Click here for photos and coverage of the opening of  “Around the Bases”