Biography

Darío Oleaga (b. 1972, San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic), is an artist based in New York. His work is deeply influenced by his childhood memories of Naranjo Dulce, a rural area where the interplay of colors, textures, and daily life left an indelible mark on him. An early fascination with photography continues to permeate his work, informing his keen sense of composition and layered narrative. Oleaga creates dynamic, fragmented compositions through mixed media collages on wood panel that deconstruct and reconstruct the human form. His figurative works, while rooted in recognizable subjects, often break down the anatomy into abstracted shapes and layered textures, creating compositions that are both familiar and otherworldly.

Oleaga’s work has been widely exhibited both nationally and internationally at the 58th Venice Biennale (2019), the XXXI Bienal Nacional de Artes Visuales at the Museo de Arte Moderno in Santo Domingo (2025), the New York Latin American Art Triennial at the Hispanic Society Museum & Library (2025), the Brooklyn Museum’s Memory of September 11th exhibition (2002), and the 8th Havana Biennial (2003). His work has also been presented at international art fairs such as MECA RD in Santo Domingo (2023 and 2024) and Swab Art Fair in Barcelona (2022). His art is represented in public collections including The Brooklyn Museum of Art (Brooklyn, New York), Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wilfredo Lam (Havana, Cuba), and Cancillería de Santo Domingo (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic). Beyond his studio practice, Oleaga contributed to the arts community through his role as cultural attaché of the Mission of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations (2002–2010), where he played a key role in promoting Dominican art and culture internationally.