The Diplomat
On Wednesday 3 November, the Dominican Menina was installed in Madrid, in a ceremony attended by the mayoress of Santo Domingo, Carolina Mejía, the ambassador of the Dominican Republic, Juan Bolívar Díaz, and the graphic designer, Isabella Fernández. The work is on display until mid-December on Calle Serrano and Calle Goya, on a corner of the emblematic Plaza Colón.
Since 2018, Madrid’s city centre has been filled with 2-metre statues inspired by Las Meninas by Spanish Golden Age painter Diego Velázquez. The meninas are installed in the busiest corners of the city, dressed in different designs and messages.
In this 2021 edition, the Dominican Republic will for the first time have its own menina, designed by the young artist Isabella Fernández, a Dominican designer based in Madrid. The design proposes to exalt the variety of races that make up the Dominican Republic, highlighting through illustrations outstanding personalities of our country such as Marileidy Paulino, Juan Luis Guerra, Sergio Vargas, Jenny Polanco, the Mirabal sisters and many more.
“Among the faces you will discover people who represent us, we are the cradle of great athletes. We are the country that makes the hips of the world move, we are the people who grow the best tobacco in the world and where the cocoa that is made into the most delicious chocolates is born. We are millions of people who bring a unique joy and energy to the world. Dominican Faces’ aims to introduce you to all of them and show you all the potential that our half Caribbean island has”, says designer Isabella Fernández.
