A visiting artist may have solved a fashion dilemma for all the Dallas social butterflies looking to stand out in a crowd. Domingo Zapata, March artist-in-residence for Lab Art Texas, would like to use your designer handbag as his next canvas.
Zapata, recently dubbed the “next Andy Warhol” by the New York Post, specializes in mixed-media, collage and graffiti art. The handbag thing started when a friend of his asked him to paint her Hermes.
“Lots of women have lots of handbags, and they have to get old after a while,” Domingo Zapata says. “This is my way of pimpin’ the bags out.”
“It really took off from there,” says Zapata, who maintains studios in his Gramercy Park townhouse in New York City, the Design District in Miami and Hollywood. “Lots and lots of women have lots and lots of handbags, and they have to get old after a while. This is my way of pimpin’ the bags out.”
Zapata, who also has donated a piece to MTV RE:DEFINE, says the contrast between these luxurious bags and their new urban graffiti-esque paint job are what makes them so beautiful. Throughout his career he has consistently explored themes of sexuality, opulence and vitality, although recent themes have included Spanish culture, American pop icons and the state of the contemporary practice.
Zapata also is inspired by his experiences as a songwriter — he has co-written lyrics for Michael Jackson and Jon Secada — which he expresses by incorporating text and visual cues into many of his works.
After studying the bag, its leather and the message the owner wants to send, Zapata uses a mix of paints on each commission. He says that “just like the dry cleaners,” women can drop off their bags and return for a completely updated accessory in a couple of hours.
The price is $3,000 for one and $7,500 for three. To make an appointment, call Lab Art Texas at 972-863-9982 or email amanda@labarttexas.com.
Lab Art's March artist-in-residence Domingo Zapata will paint your luxury handbag for a unique accessory.
