Dominique Cheminais

Dominique Cheminais (b. 1984) is a Cape Town-based painter and novelist whose artistic practice is deeply intertwined with her literary work. After gaining attention in 2010 with her exhibition For Esme with Love and Squalor at Blank Projects, Dominique took a long hiatus from painting to focus on fiction writing. Her novels, particularly the Many Shallows series, have become key influences in her visual art.

Re-entering the art world in 2022, Dominique's paintings reflect themes and narratives explored in her literature, creating a dialogue between the two forms. She has exhibited extensively since, including at the FNB Joburg Art Fair with Stevenson Gallery, a solo exhibition titled Things Done While Dreaming at THK Gallery in 2023, and group shows at A4 Arts Foundation and Under Projects. Her work has also been showcased internationally at fairs like Enter Art Fair in Copenhagen.

Dominique's art practice is characterized by a bold re-imagining of literary motifs, translating the abstract and emotional landscapes of her novels into visual form. Her most recent body of work, including the solo exhibition Three Great Loves, continues to explore these intersections, culminating in the launch of her final novel in the Many Shallows series, The Maze.