Dominican artist Jose Duran on Reclaiming Black Femininity Through Baroque and Rococo Opulence

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Jose Duran.

About Jose Duran: Born in Moca, Dominican Republic, Duran is a painter, designer, and sculptor whose work constructs elaborate, opulent interiors rooted in Baroque and Rococo traditions. His practice is grounded in extensive research into survival, celebration, vengeance, sabotage, and aspirational desire within Black communities. Duran centers Black feminine figures in his compositions as a reclamation of their historically overlooked contributions to European standards of taste, and as a form of retribution for generations of forced labor under colonial rule.

In the conversation, Duran discusses his early career in fashion, including time spent studying and working in Paris, as well as an MBA program in Taipei focused on the Asian luxury market. He explains his decision, at age 41, to leave the fashion industry behind and commit fully to becoming a visual artist, a shift shaped in part by a residency in Senegal that marked his entry into the art world.

Duran describes the influence of his late mother, a hairstylist whose gatherings between the Bronx and the Dominican Republic shaped his early understanding of beauty, celebration, and hospitality. He also outlines his research process, including his study of the historical relationship between textiles and the transatlantic slave trade, and his investigation into love-attraction plants once used by enslaved women in the Caribbean, both of which directly inform his work.

The conversation also touches on Duran's early relationship with artist Mickalene Thomas, and how that connection shaped both his confidence and his development as an artist.

Follow Jose Duran on Instagram at @joseduranstudio to keep up with his work and future projects.

Photo courtesy of subject.

The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore).

Host: Rob Lee

Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.

Production:

Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos: