Masked Self Portrait (version one,) 2023.
Oil on canvas. 20” X 30”.

Here I put myself in the Santiago carnival, wearing a blue warthog mask of my own making.

Familia carnavalesca (Carnival Family),2022.
Oil on canvas. 30” X 20”.

This is a typical scene from the carnival taking place along the city of Santo Domingo's seaside drive, yearly. All members of the family can participate in this beloved spectacle.

Javier Olivares, The Carnival Prince of Santiago, 2022.
Oil on canvas. 30” X 20”.

Carnival scenes in Santiago, and many other cities, are, not only, pageants to be enjoyed, but, also, competitions. The person wearing this costume is a frequent winner for best costume, whence his title of “Carnival Prince.”.

Más temprano, esa misma noche (Earlier That Same Night), 2022.
Oil on canvas. 36” X 48”.

Moonlight and people dancing around a fire are intrinsically fun and mysterious. The Dominican carnival, a long cherished personal symbol of the culture I was born into, along with folk dancers, is a perfect vehicle for lively movement.

Jennifer and Sonia, 2023.
Oil on canvas. 24” X 36”.

Mother and daughter (foreground) participating in the Santiago carnival together.

Exploration II: Whiplash in Washington Heights, 2023.
Mixed media on canvas. 24” X 36”

A carnival fantasy in a synthetic collage mode, set in Washington Heights, where the names of Dominican towns (here see “Tenares” in the upper right) are seen frequently in the names of stores. The “carnavalista” cracks his whip, not to hurt anyone, but for the spectacle.

Papaya Shake-up, 2024.
Oil on canvas. 24” X 36”.

Papaya shakes are a favorite treat to many Dominicans. This piece is, again, inspired by the Washington Heights neighborhood, its restaurants, its street vendors, and the Dominican carnival tradition. The depiction of the costumed figure tripping over a dog is something I once witnessed.

Ambiance (of Washington Heights), 2023.
Oil on canvas. 44” X 56”.

This piece is inspired by the Washington Heights neighborhood, the hangout scene, its street vendors, and the Dominican carnival tradition.

Black Orpheus No. 6: Orpheus Sings to Cerberus, 2024.
Oil on canvas. 38“ X 54“.

In this piece I pay homage to Black Orpheus, the 1959 film directed by Marcel Camus, containing the most thrilling footage of the Rio de Janeiro carnival. I also use elements from it (in this case the figure of Orpheus in his carnival outfit) to recount the Orpheus myth.

Sonia Olivares, “Roba la Gallina (The Chicken Thief,)” 2022.
Pastel. 24” X 18”

This stock character from the Santiago carnival, 'The Chicken Thief', is traditionally played by males, as seen here, with skirts, exaggeratedly large breasts, feathers, and parasol. But Ms. Olivares dons the outfit because she doesn't want to be told what she cannot do.

Fresco Fragment No. 3, 2024.
Oil on Blue stone. 8.25” X 10.5”.

Here I present another view of the Santo Domingo carnival, while enjoying a playful homage to the ancient frescoes I so admire.

Masked Self Portrait (version two,) 2025.
Oil on panel. 17.5” diameter.

Piglets 'Los Jardines’ (Lechones Los Jardines), 2023.
Acrylics on canvas. 17.5” X 26.75”

"Piglet" is one of the terms used to describe the costumed carnival revelers in the DR. "Bulls" is another. "Los Jardines, or “The Gardens," refers to the neighborhood where this particular group resides.

Untitled (3 Santiago costumed figures), 2023.
Oil on canvas. 20” X 30”.

Single Carnival Figure, 2023.
Acrylics on canvas. 8” X 4.5”.

This is, again, inspired by the Santiago carnival tradition.

Santiago Candy Corp, 2024.
Oils and mixed media on canvas. 18” X 24”.

Another of my pieces inspired by the Washington Heights neighborhood. The name "Santiago" refers to the city where I was born, and to one of the DR's most vibrant carnival traditions.

Peacock, 2023.
Oil and mixed media on canvas. 18” X 24”.

Though treated more abstractly than much of my work, this image is also inspired by the carnival taking place along Santo Domingo's seaside drive, yearly. The medallions in the four corners represent Taíno Indian figures. The Taínos remain a important component of Dominican heritage.

“Halloween Triptych,”2020.
Oil on panels/mixed media. 14 3/4” X 30”

This piece is inspired by New York's Village Halloween Parade, in this case, heavily inflected with Mexican Day of the Dead imagery. I included the biker on the right only because he was right in the spirit of the parade.

“Halloween Triptych (detail, center panel),” 2020.
Oil on panels/mixed media. 14 3/4” X 30”

Punta Cana I, 2018.
Oil on canvas. 30” X 20”.

The Zebras, 2016.
Oil on linen. 38” X 30”.

This is one of my images depicting figures from Brooklyn's West Indian Carnival.

A Run in Her Stocking, 2016.
Oil on canvas. 48” X 36”.

Another of my images based on the West Indian Carnival, taking place every September along Brooklyn's Eastern Parkway.

Blue Woman, 2013.
Pastels. 24” X 18”.

Carnival Portrait, 2026.
Gouache. 12” X 9”.