Pete Morris - Art Blogger
	Pete is an occasional painter and an art lover. He is a freelance writer with a particular interest in promoting the visual arts in Tauranga.

I first discovered Dominique Vallmitjana's art at the Daytona Gallery on Prince Avenue in Mount Maunganui. It's the sort of artwork that makes a sudden grab for your attention and demands to be looked at.

'Series Tetes' (each 500mm x 350mm) Mixed media. 2009.

'Toto' (900mm x 1200mm) Acrylic. 2009.

Dominique (b.1987) has a Canadian Argentinian background and is currently residing in Mount Maunganui. She has a degree in fine arts from the University of Cordoba and her extensive travels in Latin America, Oceania and Africa have helped shape her highly personal artistic vision. An investigation of African masks while she was in South Africa has culminated in a series named 'Heads' in which she conveys the idea of 'totem' or 'deity' in a contemporary way with a high degree of visual and emotional impact.

Dominique explains that in her painting 'Toto' she combines her passion for animals, nature, wildlife and mystic symbolism.
"The images invade my subconscious and curious creatures suddenly appear in my paintings - sometimes they seem to make an appearance on the support all by themselves," says Dominique.

Dominique aspires to be uninhibited and expressive in her art. She is mindful of the principles of painting she studied, but has a desire to explore ideas in a "non-contaminated" and pure way rather than to be restricted by realistic representation and traditional techniques.
"Art is my greatest satisfaction, a sensitive way of perceiving my surroundings, and here I have found the route towards a genuine happiness: to shape imaginative, creative ideas with my own hands."

Dominique's search for new artistic expression continues and she is keen to learn more about Maori art now that she is in New Zealand.

Find out more about this exciting artist and see more of her work at www.vallmitjana.com/dominique