Interview with muralist Desireé Vaniecia

​

Part 1 : DALLAS

​

Q: Did you grow up in Texas? What inspires you about the Dallas area? 

​

Desireé:  I was born and raised in Dallas. What inspires me about Dallas is the different pockets of communities in Dallas and how they are all interconnected in some way. Being a local from Dallas, I am always pleasantly surprised when I invited out to an area I never heard about before. It feels like Dallas keeps getting bigger and bigger while still having a hometown vibe.

​

Q: What are the advantages/disadvantages of being a Dallas-based artist?

​

D: The advantages of being a Dallas-based artist are the resources and being around amazing artists and venues. I wouldn’t change it. The huge disadvantage right now is just trying to find studio space, but it’s coming, just taking a moment. 

​

Q: Are there any Texas-based artists that specifically inspire you? 

​

D: So many, I feel like they are all my friends, but every time I look at their work, I am just like, okay, I need to up my skills. Sam Lao, Jeremy Biggers, Hatziel Flores, JD Moore, Riley Hollaway, Molly Sydnor, Ciara Elle Bryant, Jerlisa Devezin, Elizabeth Hill, Joel Murray. There are more, but right now, those are just the ones I was stalking this week.

​

Part 2: THE MURAL 

 

Q: Tell me a little bit about the mural you’re painting.

 

D: For this mural, I was really inspired by what Stephanie and Andy told me about what they wanted the house to be—kind of building a place for community and for people to socialize but also to learn from each other in a sense. When I was thinking about this mural, I was really thinking about how information is passed at a table; we’re always talking to each other and learning something new. So I wanted to recreate that scene for this mural. 

 

Q: What do you want people to feel whenever they see [the mural] for the first time?

 

D: I’d really want people just to get a sense of “different people can meet at the same table.” We’re together but we’re still individualized…each woman I put here is very different, especially in their manner, their poses. I guess, in a sense, we don’t all have to be the same to sit at the same table. I don’t know if that’s really a feeling but I guess: harmony—like “this is  really nice, I feel comfortable.” 

 

Q: Are any of these women inspirations from your own life? Where did the idea for these women come from?

 

D: Well there’s not a specific person tied to the women but it was inspired by my family get-togethers, especially with my in-laws. Me and my husband are interracial, my husband’s white, so going to his family—we’re all different. Not only race, but especially ideology, the way we think. We’re always talking and learning new things from each other, so that was really the big inspiration for me for this one. 

 

Q: Do you use this color palette normally or is this brand new to you? What’s the story behind that?

 

D: It’s very new. Well, I mean I’ve been working with color for a minute. I used to work black and white but I’ve been experimenting. This is definitely new. Not necessarily the ivory color, but trying to see if I can find blues and pinks…this is a new set of color palettes. I think each time I do a painting, I want to try a new color palette with the same black figure that I’ve always done—it’s just a really cool experimentation with it. 

 

Q: So tell me a little bit about how you want this mural to tie into the vibe of the house.

 

D: I just want it to be an added feature to the house but then also a picture representation of what the house means…of how the house is supposed to be…sharing of information, community, building relationships and being there for people in the best way you know how—because sometimes we show our support to people in different ways.

 

Q: —What about this piece in particular, why do you love painting this piece? 

 

D: It’s the first piece of something new. I had my solo show which was like an accumulation of everything that I worked on for 2-3 years and so this is the first piece I’m actually painting outside of that and it’s kind of like a breath of fresh air. But it’s also this new era in my paintings—something very different from what I’ve usually done. 

​

Q: How can people find you, support you, and share your work? 

​

D: People can find me on my website: desireevaniecia.com Also can follow my work and support me through Instagram @desireevaniecia.

​

​

​

​