Domingo Zapata

Zapata bring his Neo-Expressionist flair to the UK and beyond with his incredible Pandamonium collection. Featuring two limited edition on paper, a selection of original paintings on canvas and a series of hand-embellished works, the contemporary release takes inspiration from the street art and culture of SoHo, Little Italy and Tribeca in New York.

Fusing Chinese traditions with elements of urban style and Domingo’s own Mediterranean heritage, each of the colourful pandas is titled after a Chinese word – including ‘confidence’, ‘precious’ and ‘beautiful life’ – and is hand-signed by Domingo in paint.

Encompassing a wide range of inspirations, from modern street art to Reinaissance painters like Leonardo da Vinci, his paintings touch upon contrasting genres. Jonathan says: "Like the work of our other artists – including James Gill, Paul Kenton and Ronnie Wood – it is both traditional yet contemporary. 'Chi Chi’ has touches of Realism, with its fine grey brushstrokes capturing the texture of the panda’s fur. But the background is pure Expressionism: it’s chaotic and free. Domingo breaks up the traditional to create a style that is truly unique.”

Bold colours, dripping lines and swooping hearts echo Domingo’s belief in the concept of el duende: a heightened physical and emotional response to an artistic performance. Like the flamenco dance, his art expresses movement and passion, as Jonathan explains: "Without that genuine emotion, these artworks would be so different. There are no perfect colour tones; it’s that messiness, rather than a flat and controlled image, that creates such a feeling of pure expression.

Domingo's graffiti-style lettering, symbols and imagery pay homage to the street art of New York, where artists like Cornbread, Dondi White, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Richard Hambleton made their name. Jonathan says: "Being from Bristol – the home of Banksy – I’m a huge fan of street art. It’s the purest form of expression: it’s just you and the wall. This art is created in public, not in solitude; it’s honest and open to judgement. Street art is about getting paint onto the canvas and putting your feelings out there. While Domingo isn’t a street artist, his art has the same intention: it expresses his motto that ‘life is a dream’.”

In January 2020, Domingo collaborated with Pope Francis to celebrate the head of the Catholic Church's 50th year since ordination. Together, the pair have raised over $1.5 million for the Pope's arts education charity, the Pontifical Scholas Occurrentes Foundation. For their latest work, the sovereign of the Vaitican City State added his signature cross and a bird to Domingo's red heart.

Domingo's most ambitious project to date is a 15-story vinyl canvas at One Times Square. The 30,000 sq ft mural took pride of place in one of New York's busiest spots, where an estimated 35,000 people walk by each day. For six days, Domingo painted from suspended state-of-the-art scaffolding, capturing themes and highlights from his spectacular career.

Domingo's art is collected by stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom, and features in the collections of the Missoni family and the investment bank Goldman Sachs. The controversial British artist Damien Hirst attended his 2005 exhibition in Miami, whilst he is also good friends with Diana Widmaier Picasso. He has worked with the former Banksy protégé Mr. Brainwash, written lyrics for Michael Jackson and painted Hollywood actresses including Sofia Vergara, Angelina Jolie and Michelle Rodriguez.

What would happen if Leonardo da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa' was exposed to street art and graffiti? That's exactly what our artist Domingo Zapata explored in his stunning debut collection, La Gioconda. Reimagining the archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance through street art and graffiti aesthetics, New York-based Domingo contrasts the work of an Old Master with contemporary techniques. He layers fantasy with reality, visualising his poetic imagination through layers of text and visual cues, including symbols. Each hand-embellished giclée is a conversation of colours, with Domingo's distinctive style identified by the raw strokes of paint.