In Paint and Papier-mâché Daniela Flint Makes Her Mark
One of Daniela Flint’s striking papier-mâché vessels. Photo courtesy of the artist.
It is often observed that people who grow up in New England tend to return, even after years away. Massachusetts artist Daniela Flint is a case in point. Raised in Boston, she spent five years living and working in Texas but has now returned and is already building an active practice in the Northeast. In bold oil paintings and inventive vases crafted out of paper, Flint is making her mark on the local scene.
Supermarket circulars are a key medium for Flint’s three-dimensional work. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Now based north of Boston in Newbury, Massachusetts, Flint earned her BFA in 2018 from the Maine College of Art. During her time in Texas, her work was featured in over a dozen exhibitions, including shows at the Latino Cultural Center in Dallas and the Amarillo Museum of Art. Flint’s credits also include being published in the Austin Chronicle and Architectural Digest.
Talking about her return to the region, Flint is excited for the potential. She says, “I was actually born in Boston and started my life in the neighborhood of Dorchester, but during Covid I wanted to make a big life change, which led to five glorious years in Dallas, Texas. My time in Dallas felt like a residency; my work quickly found collectors and institutional support, giving me momentum and confidence. Returning to the Northeast was an intentional challenge. Proximity really matters, having your work shown regionally in the North East carries a weight because the standards are at a higher level. You can throw a rock and hit a world-recognized curator, throw two rocks and hit an international Van Gogh tour and a NYC-based collector, throw three rocks, and you get escorted out of the gallery, and you’re told you’re banned from the MFA. My first two months in Massachusetts, I have already scheduled more exhibitions than all of last year and applied to residencies including Pace House and Monson. I am excited by the opportunity to continue my practice on the East Coast.”
Flint has already been the subject of a solo exhibition since her return. See Saw Art in Manchester, New Hampshire presented a feature on the artist in January. Titled Weekly Special, the show focused on Flint’s paintings that meld themes from historic genre painting with contemporary consumerism. Alongside her paintings, Flint also crafts eye-catching papier-mâché vases. With bulbous and exaggerated forms, these pieces are simultaneously immediately recognizable and also deeply curious.
One of Flint’s bold oil paintings on the easel in her Newbury, Massachusetts studio. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Speaking of how these paper vessels factor into her practice, Flint explains, “My studio practice explores how individuals’ personal perceptions of value are influenced by both personal perspectives and collective societal ideals. By removing the vase's utilitarian value by using paper; a delicate material that would be destroyed by water, the vase relies solely on decorative value, echoing Richard Serra’s argument that art is ‘purposely useless’. The surfaces of the vases are covered in appropriated materials from high end fashion magazines and grocery flyers, juxtaposing luxury with everyday food products to critique mass marketing while championing women’s work, the handmade and counterfeit products. Each vase starts with a base that is either cardboard or plastic water bottles; each vase is then shaped with layer upon layer of glue and paper until I am satisfied with its form.”
In addition to her art practice, Flint has also taught and curated. While in Texas she worked with students at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and Dallas Contemporary, and in 2024 she assembled the exhibition Happening Here at Eclectika Gallery. A Brazilian-American artist, Flint is also interested in using her platform to create opportunities for Latinx artists.
Interdisciplinary maker Daniela Flint. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Considering what she hopes this next phase holds for her career, the artist reflects, “After a very long drive from Texas to Massachusetts, I manifested a year of stability alongside securing gallery representation for my work as well as expanding my curatorial work to give a platform for underrepresented artists. I predict my practice will focus on New England culinary culture as a means to examine value, regional identity and systems of consumption, because food is never just food, it defines the individual by their own personal needs and seats them at the metaphoric table that is the global market. This period of reorientation feels like a bridge between past and future phases of my practice, and I’m eager to immerse myself and strengthen my connection to New England as both my home and an ongoing source of artistic inspiration.”
It will be exciting to see what comes next for Flint as she explores the region where she grew up and studied. With energy and vision, she is crafting exciting and singular work that is worthy of attention both in New England and beyond.
Learn more about Daniela Flint at www.danielaflint.com, and follow her work on Instagram at @daniela_flint.
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