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Located in Altos de Chavón, Wao Gallery & Cultural Center will inaugurate the “Returning to the Bohío” exhibition by Dominican artists Simón de los Santos and Vanessa Languasco on March 10th. This duo presents contemporary works full of life, experiences, and expression.
Simon de los Santos’ work is figurative abstract, depicting landscapes and surreal worlds that transport the viewer to the sea, the colorful Caribbean, but subtly, as if the landscapes of his hometown of Puerto Plata were hidden in his memory. A Chavón School of Design graduate, he showed his sensitivity and passion for art from a young age. Vanessa Languasco’s works manifest a vernacular investigation representing in her works like a celebration of the typical, indigenous, and local, emphasizing her surroundings by taking inspiration from the landscape of our Quisqueya. A graduate of Advertising from UNAPEC, which she combines with her artistic training.
On this occasion, the artists present “Returning to the Bohío,” an exhibition that brings them together in the Taino word “Bohío,” which means home and hearth, as Simon not only returns to his alma mater with his exhibition but returns with his partner Vanessa. In this very emotional exhibition, love for art, family, and Chavón merge in a single space. The collection is rich in formats and techniques inspired by the island’s nature, vernacular architecture, and ancestral craft traditions, promising to be a relevant exhibition of 45 works by the artists in the WAO Gallery and Cultural Center.
The exhibition will remain open from March 10th to April 24th, 2023, on Wednesdays to Saturdays from 9 am to 9 pm and Tuesdays to Sundays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
The Patronato Benéfico Oriental, Inc. (PBO) continues to support sustainable social impact initiatives to promote culture, which is why it has complemented its programs with the initiatives of WAO Chavón, including WAO Innovation HUB, WAO Gallery & Cultural Center, and the Altos de Chavón Regional Archaeological Museum in Altos de Chavón.
The proceeds from the various projects and activities go towards our social programs so that we can replicate these initiatives in the vulnerable communities we serve as part of the PBO’s community empowerment programs, promoting values that are in line with our mission, such as Respect, Solidarity, Integrity, and Equal opportunities.
About the artists:
Simon De Los Santos (born in June 1993) formalized his art studies at Altos de Chavón, the design school, in 2014. In 2016, he won a CURANDO CARIBE II curatorial training program scholarship from the Centro León and the CCE.
He believes in interdisciplinary artistic practices and digital art. He was a finalist in the 2016 Diario Libre Award competition with his work “The disintegration of no one,” a painting on canvas, 30 x 40 inches, and the 2017 Young Image Award of Photoimagen R.D. with the work “MM,” a photograph.
Vanessa Languasco Méndez (born in August 1991) is a Dominican publicist, artisan, illustrator, and documentary photographer. She graduated from the Advertising program at UNAPEC and specialized in Digital Transformation at the School of Industrial Organization (E.O.I) in Spain. She also has a certification in Branded Content from the Madrid Content School. Additionally, she has received training in crafts, illustration, fashion marketing, digital marketing, and advertising photography from Sormed, Casa Chavón, SDQ, and GC Films.
In photography, she has a collection of people, objects, and buildings from various locations, winning multiple awards. As for illustration and graphic design, she has collaborated with Editorial SM, the Listín Diario newspaper, Banreservas Cultural Center, ArtIsla, Retina, and ViartRD.
