Every artist has their own unique approach to expression, color and meaning. In an attempt to challenge herself and build an identifiable brand, the self-proclaimed Queen of Tape, Anna Dominguez, looked to other resources outside of a paintbrush to execute her stunning visions. It's been almost ten years since Dominguez purchased her first roll of tape -- for art purposes, that is.
"I had four rolls of tape because that's all they had. The palette was very limited [back then]." And now with thousands of rolls of tape under her artistic belt, Dominguez has an impressive portfolio with pieces praised by athletes, Rachael Ray and even the cast of The Big Bang Theory. Her latest accomplishment hangs in the lobby of the opulent St. Jane Hotel in Chicago.
Her signature? Tape, of course, and gold. Dominguez admits that tape has presented limitations and she even considered supplementing with paint, but never followed through. "If [I'm] going to call [my]self the Queen of Tape, [I] should only be using tape, even when it's hard," she explains. Adding, "I'm adamant about sticking to just tape." Pun intended.
The St. Jane Hotel masterpiece reflects Dominguez's gold devotion and her keen attention to detail, history -- and herstory. Dominguez explains, "It was really important to include the architecture of the building and Jane Addams, the namesake of the hotel." While the Dominican University graduate was forced to abandon her initial plan to feature Addams on the canvas due to size constraints, she incorporated inspiring quotes from the famous activist and author.
Honoring strong women is a theme in Dominguez's work and in turn, she hopes to see more women artists represented throughout the city and throughout the world. Her favorite pieces, which she describes as "sophisticated and playful" include large scale replicas of celebrities who are superstars in their respective industries like Gigi Hadid and Serena Williams.
It's not far-fetched for Dominguez to be one of those superstars (she is a Queen after all). And hopefully, more women artists will join her. "There's so many murals in Chicago, but they're all done by male artists. I don't get it," she says. "I'm trying to be one of those women who stands out and [can] be an example for other artists."
The road to success is paved with hard work, as the Queen of Tape already knows. "The arts are very hard to break into and a lot of it is luck. I learned that I got what I wanted because of how persistent I was."
Adding, "I'm going to do what it takes to get where I need to be."
Follow the Queen of Tape on Instagram.