Interview with New Wave Artist in Residence, Tiffany Alfonseca

New Wave Artist Resident Tiffany Alfonseca in her Washington Heights home Studio.

Photo: Jose “Tutes” Tutiven.

By CLARE GEMIMA  January 8, 2025

My subjects embody a defiant autonomy; they are unapologetically vibrant and complex, asserting their right to exist fully in a world that often demands simplification or assimilation – Tiffany Alfonseca  

During the recent New Wave Art Wknd in West Palm Beach Miami, I had the privilege of meeting Tiffany Alfonseca, the current resident of the New Wave Artist Residency, an initiative founded and spearheaded by gallerist Sarah Gavlak. 

Throughout our conversation, Alfonseca unpacked the layers of her dual cultural identity, revealing how it shapes her art and fuels her drive to create works that disrupt rigid narratives. From her roots in Washington Heights, a cornerstone of Dominican-American life in New York City, to her exploration of themes like double consciousness, privilege, and race, Alfonseca’s practice not only honors her heritage, but also aims to outdate the comfort zones and mainstream societal views that dominate today’s art world.

Clare Gemima: Your work proudly strives to break away from monolithic portrayals of the Black and Latinx diaspora – a goal underscored by your Dominican roots. In what ways does your painting practice help navigate the complexities of your own dual heritage, and how do you believe your compositions honor tradition, yet simultaneously push against boundaries of cultural inclusion and representation?

Tiffany Alfonseca: I strongly believe that my practice opens up conversations around the Dominican-American experience, but more specifically the Dominican-American Uptown NYC experience. I’ve noticed that the Latino Uptown NYC experience is different from the other boroughs in New York. From what I’ve gathered through my research for my practice and general life experiences, Uptown NYC, also known as the Washington Heights, and the Inwood area have the biggest population of Dominicans. Whether they came straight from the Dominican Republic, or were/are children of immigrant Dominican families who have relocated to the USA for a better life, it’s no wonder Washington Heights has been renamed ‘Little Dominican Republic.’ The rich culture from the island and people have made the ‘Heights their second home!

Growing up immersed in both Dominican and American cultures feels like navigating opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to anything related to art. American culture is big on art, while Dominican culture is not. In America you can be an artist or arts professional, while in the Caribbean it’s seen more as a hobby. When I decided to take an arts career seriously, I always had “create something your younger self wishes she could’ve seen” humming in the back of my mind, and now, that’s exactly what I’m doing. As a young girl I would never in a million years imagine seeing art that depicted a beautiful black/latina girl with glitter enhanced hair, for example. To be honest, I hadn't ever seen black or brown figures depicted in art until I went to art college. At that point, I instantly started to think about how I could create beautiful moments for people who may feel unseen or excluded in today’s beauty and art standards. I began digging, and grabbed inspiration from archived family photos, used friends as muses, took my own photos of the community, and even started to ask followers on instagram to participate in my projects. Through these captured moments, I honor community, hair, joy, ethnic beauty, moments of leisure, unity, family, culture, and everyday life.

Clare Gemima: Using paint to reimagine ideas like privilege, race, class, womanhood and familial bonds, I am curious as to how these sorts of ideas became the central focus of your production, and how they have evolved over the last several years?

Tiffany Alfonseca: For me, a lot of my paintings are a homage to all of the amazing women I know, and those that helped raise me. It’s like a “thank you for existing…I see you!” moment. When I first started creating, I often relied on my imagination to conjure ideas due to a lack of resources and models. Now I feel the work has evolved into combining my imagination with real life references. Like I stated previously, I always wanted to create art that I didn’t see as a little girl, and that’s where my work and concepts have stemmed from. Instead of merely focusing on aesthetically pleasing work, I have pushed my concepts even more by embracing music in my practice, and have witnessed my work truly evolve. 

The rest of the topics you mentioned are like elephants in the room that people don't want to talk about or admit to, so I like to add hints of these to the work subtly. For example, the topic of race and colorism are recurring topics in both cultures, although definitely more prevalent in American culture. Some choose to ignore the topic, but inY Como Se Le Digo? you can see two beautiful figures intermingling. That's my way of saying “look how diverse Dominicans can be.”

100%, 2023. Acrylic, rhinestones, and colored pencils on stretched canvas. 48 x 60 in. 

Photo courtesy of the artist.

Clare Gemima: Incorporating W.E.B. DuBois’ concept of double consciousness (the psychological experience of feeling like you have two identities, one as a person within yourself and another as perceived by a dominant society), your works illustrate proud, autonomous characters in a world that seeks to diminish their humanity and vitality. How does this philosophical lens influence your exploration of identity in your paintings, especially considering the complexities of living between more than one culture?

Tiffany Alfonseca: W.E.B. DuBois’ concept of double consciousness deeply resonates with my experiences of navigating life between two cultures. This duality of being both Dominican and American manifests in my art as a dialogue between the self I know intimately, and the self shaped by external perceptions. My paintings serve as a reclamation of identity, capturing characters who are not just surviving but shining and thriving, despite societal forces that may attempt to erase or diminish their essence.

Through bold colors, layered textures, and symbolic imagery rooted in both Caribbean and American traditions, I explore the tension between belonging and alienation. “Ni de aquí, ni de alla” which means ‘neither from here, nor from there” is a term that feels so familiar. My subjects embody a defiant autonomy; they are unapologetically vibrant and complex, asserting their right to exist fully in a world that often demands simplification or assimilation. Double consciousness challenges me to question whose gaze I am centering in my work. Am I painting for those who share my cultural roots, for those outside of it, or for myself? Ultimately, my paintings aim to unify these perspectives, illustrating the beauty in living between worlds. They invite viewers to confront their assumptions, and celebrate the richness of identities that transcend borders, histories, and stereotypes.

Clare Gemima: What does it mean for you to create work that offers a space of affirmation for marginalized communities, and how has your work been received by audiences in both the states, and in the Dominican Republic?

Tiffany Alfonseca: It’s very important that I capture these moments, because at the end of the day the work that I make is for my audience – for them to feel a sense of inclusion. It’s very rewarding to have random people come up to me and explain how much they resonate with my work. It always warms my heart. I think that my work is definitely more appreciated/accepted here in the USA because of the open-mindedness that Americans have. As for the Dominican Republic, some of these topics are still very new and are not often spoken about.

La mamá del pueblo, 2024. Acrylic, rhinestones, mixed media, collage, and colored pencils on stretched canvas. 30 x 40 in. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Clare Gemima: Initially, what goals did you set for yourself during your time at the New Wave Artist Residency, and upon reflection, has your time there expanded or transformed your works in ways you hadn't anticipated?

Tiffany Alfonseca: I went into the residency very optimistic, in the hopes of finally making work for MYSELF, and not having to worry about fulfilling the needs of the art world. At times, being an artist can be very stressful and even draining to the point you start to lack creativity (at least for me). It’s as though I’m always on work mode. I think my time at the residency has helped me kick-back and start to enjoy my process again. I really missed that feeling! My time at New Wave definitely gave me the chance to experiment and have fun with the process, too. I get to play with what works, what doesn’t, and learn how to incorporate what I am testing into my next series.

Clare Gemima: Could you share some of the most exhilarating moments from your time in West Palm Beach? Who stands out as someone you felt especially fortunate to connect with during this opportunity?

Tiffany Alfonseca: The most exhilarating time at West Palm Beach was the New Wave Art Weekend! During that weekend, New Wave hosted artist talks, cocktail parties, and my open studio which gave me the chance to mingle with some familiar faces and some new ones! I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to connect with Beth DeWoody who is already a collector of my work, and is always looking for ways to help me. For that, I will always be thankful.

Ghetto Fantasy, 2024. Watercolor paper, acrylic paint, colored pencils, and glitter. 22x30 inches Photo courtesy of the artist.

Clare Gemima: Let’s talk about some of the work you have made during your time at New Wave. Could you share the story behind Ghetto Fantasy, and how it reflects your subject’s aspiration to move beyond their humble, perhaps less than ideal circumstances? 

Tiffany Alfonseca: Ghetto Fantasy touches on the topic of Black and Brown women who come from humble beginnings (living in the “ghetto” or projects/living in poverty) and make it out of the hood to enjoy the finer things in life. Even being in such a luxurious home, by way of either gaining a higher powered position in her personal life, or by visiting her besties boyfriend's mansion in the Hamptons, she still has that “ghetto” mindset – something that will forever be a part of her. Ghetto Fantasy is based on every ghetto girl's fantasy of getting out of the hood, and experiencing a more lavish lifestyle.

Clare Gemima: Music and identity are central to your practice too. In-progress works like Hazme Olvidarla channel the emotive power of Dominican rhythms like merengue and bachata, while Y Como Se Le Digo delves into layered concepts like phenotypes and colorism within Dominican identity. How do you see these themes deepening or transforming in your paintings once your time at New Wave comes to an end? 

Tiffany Alfonseca: Oh yes! I have always said to myself if I didn’t become a visual artist I would’ve definitely become a musician, or dabbled in the music industry. Music is something that I hold very near and dear to my soul, and it has honestly helped mold the woman/artist that I am today. I’m so glad that I was able to somehow incorporate music into my practice because I feel like it was the missing piece, and something essential for my growth.

Touching on concepts like phenotypes and colorism is a recurring element in all of my work, so that will just continue to become more emphasized. It’s just a matter of figuring out how to showcase it next, whether on a painted canvas, or through sculpture, as the options are limitless. That’s what truly excites me —exploring how I can move forward and expand these ideas into other mediums.

Studio view featuring works in progress. Far left: Hazme Olvidarla. Far right: Y Como Se Le Digo, 2024. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Tiffany Alfonseca is an Uptown- based Dominican-American mixed media artist who creates vibrant and colorful artworks that celebrate Black and Latinx diasporic culture. Alfonseca continuously taps into her Dominican roots and leverages it as a conceptual cantilever that provides a dynamic framework for her artistic practice. Moreover, her work aims to visually articulate that the Black and Latinx diaspora does not exist within a monolith, but that these communities are a cultural cornucopia that is vast, varied, and complex. Alfonseca’s artwork is an intricate combination of beauty, diversity, and multilingualism that exemplifies the strength of the Black and Latinx diaspora. https://www.tiffanyalfonseca.com/