Nicole Sánchez Ilzenhöfer
Nicole Sánchez Ilzenhöfer is a multidisciplinary artist (photography, painting, video art/documentary) born in Santo Domingo in 1971. She studied photography at the Private School for Photo-Design Christoph Eberbach, GmbH, in Germany. Her work spans various projects both nationally and internationally, including solo exhibitions such as La Disolución del Tiempo (Museo de Arte Moderno de Santo Domingo, 2004), Mujer (Perimetral Fence Parque Independencia, 2007), and Mujer Dominicana en NY (Amsterdam Plaza, New York City College, 2008). She has also published several photo books: Genio & Figura (2000), La Disolución del Tiempo (2004), Mujer (2007), Mujer Dominicana en NY (2008), and Dominican York (2010).
Sánchez Ilzenhöfer has received significant recognition in the Dominican Republic, including First Place in Photography for Saudade and Second Place in Video and Multimedia for Cumulus at the XXII National Biennial of Visual Arts in 2003. She also won the Max Pou Documentary Award from FUNGLODE in 2007 for Mujer and received a Special Mention in Photography at the XXIII National Biennial of Visual Arts in 2005 for Por Piedad.
In 2008, she was cited by the New York State Assembly for her contributions to photography, and in 2011, she was recognized as the Outstanding Young Artist of the Dominican Republic by JAYCEE'S (Junior Chamber International). She currently devotes much of her time to painting, with works featured in private collections across the Dominican Republic, the United States, Spain, Canada, and Germany.
Artist Statement
Painting is where my childhood meets my present.
If as a child I had not known the sea, a river, the forest, or my horse, I would certainly not have become an artist. I learned everything there.
These are the moments that marked me and that are still within me, to which I can always return and that will remain in my spirit forever, imbued with the same magic, innocence, and illusion.
There is a very particular feeling in each painting that I cannot always express with words. I paint the flowers of the Caribbean, Europe, and the United States—the places I have lived—drawing inspiration from respect, longevity, heritage, and the preservation of species. I also explore ethnic and cultural diversity and the parallels between the human and animal worlds.
I paint as one who cultivates the earth, to honor it, out of gratitude. Poetically growing flowers.
Art speaks in a way that I know words cannot, and I hope that more and more my paintings reflect the emotions and metaphors embedded in these works.
My baggage, my roots, my journey, my memory, my Homeland.
What is your first memory of creating?
I was born into a non-artistic family, but I remember my father telling me made-up stories when I was two or three years old. I imagined and reenacted them in such a detailed and magical way that I felt powerful inside; these memories still resonate in my practice today. Years later, during a school trip to a visual art exhibition in my hometown, some of the artwork I saw had such a profound effect on me that I fell in love with art. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be an artist. I started with graphic design, studied photography, and explored art videos and painting.
What is your relationship to your medium? What draws you to it?
I am a self-taught painter, mostly figuring it out as I go along. Almost every material I use is new to me, as are the techniques I apply. There is a very particular feeling in each painting that I cannot always express in words. I paint the flowers of the Caribbean, Europe, and the United States, the places where I have lived. My inspiration stems from respect, longevity, heritage, and species preservation, along with ethnic and cultural diversity and parallels between the human and animal worlds. I paint like someone who cultivates the land, to honor it, out of gratitude—poetically reforesting.
What is the main thing you hope your audience takes away from your art?
Through my art, I hope to express identity, metaphor, and emotion—surprise and mystery. Solidarity. Strength. Vulnerability. Love and loss. It is a celebration of flora and fauna, showcasing that diversity is our beauty and strength—beings living in balance, discovering each other, and thriving together.
Tell us about a challenge you overcame last year.
The challenge is always to maintain my awareness of understanding and decoding the subconscious aspects of my art-making as a transformative experience—to push the limits, to grow, to stay curious, to remain honest, and, ultimately, to perceive the true meaning of the work.
What is your main goal or resolution this year in terms of your art practice?
I hope to let my mind wander and be free to play and experiment—to make mistakes, to focus and let go, to find makeshift solutions to everyday challenges, to trust and enjoy the process.
