Tafy LaPlanche
Born and raised in NYC, Tafy was always surrounded by diversity. It made her curious about other cultures and heritages. That upbringing prompted her to travel and meet all kinds of people. And made her passionate about showcasing that in her art.
Being both Puerto Rican and Haitian, throughout her life people always tried to place Tafy in a box of one or the other. With her portraits, she showcases unique individuals who embrace both their culture and who they are. Using a range of mediums including charcoal, graphite, oil, and acrylic paint. Placing her portraits against graphic vibrant patterns inspired by murals she grew up around in Spanish Harlem.
Through her art, Tafy celebrates the beauty of dual identity and how it can be an asset instead of a burden. She hopes to inspire others to embrace their full identity and be proud of who they are.
What initially sparked your interest in art?
I was stuck in the hospital when I was diagnosed at thirteen with type 1 diabetes. Being the oldest patient in the unit, the younger kids had priority over the gaming systems and movies. I didn’t have many forms of entertainment to pass the time. I was given paper and pens to journal but didn’t take to writing. I ended up sketching the nurses that would come by at all hours of the night and started taping them to my hospital room walls. You could say that was my first solo show! I enjoyed documenting the faces that passed by in my life and really took to continuing that.
What connects your work together and what keeps you creating?
The overall message of my work is celebrating the bold and unique you. I love pairing realistic portraits with graphic patterns that relate to the soul of the subject. Connecting with people from all walks of life and being able to share that through art so that we can all connect on a human experience level keeps me creating.
Describe your work using three words.
Bold. Vibrant. Fresh.
What are you most proud of as an artist, whether it's a specific moment or who you are as an artist?
Within my first two years of considering myself an emerging artist, I was able to exhibit at a museum. The works themselves had a very strong message, and I felt very proud in creating them but also being able to talk about them and share them. To see others connect to their message made me extremely proud.
If you could be in a two-person exhibition with any artist from history, who would it be and why?
Jean-Michel Basquiat. Both being Puerto Rican/Haitian American artists from New York with different perspectives of dichotomies, our styles are different but equally vibrant and would be a lovely compliment to each other. I just think it would be a meaningful one heck of a show.
