From the Mountains: Desiree Vaniecia
From The Mountains
Oak Cliff Cultural Center
September 6th- 13th, 2025
Artist Statement
From the Mountains is an interactive installation that explores what it means to rebuild — both ourselves
and one another. The work features large-scale wooden puzzle pieces in the forms of reclining female
figures, created in collaboration with Dalhaust Studio, whose precision and craftsmanship brought them
to life.. Scaled up to monumental size, these puzzles invite visitors to assemble them throughout the
exhibition. Each figure embodies strength, perseverance, and the slow, deliberate process of healing.
Alongside the puzzles, oversized green beanbag chairs serve as shifting “mountains.” They are both
obstacles and resting points — firm yet adaptable, always capable of being moved or climbed. These
forms encourage participants to change their perspective, allowing them to see the puzzles differently
depending on their position or vantage point. Like real mountains, they are never fixed; they are always
in motion, reshaping the space as viewers interact with them.
The installation depends on participation. Visitors climb, shift, and reassemble the work, becoming an
integral part of the artwork itself. It is designed to be accessible and engaging across all ages,
encouraging touch, collaboration, and reflection.
At its heart, From the Mountains is about resilience and empathy. It recognizes that putting things back
together is rarely a solitary act — sometimes we rebuild ourselves, and sometimes we quietly help
rebuild someone else who may never ask for it. The hope is that the experience lingers after leaving the
gallery, the way a landscape stays with you long after you’ve moved on — reminding us of the power of
shifting perspectives, shared effort, and the beauty of becoming whole again.
Artist Bio
Desireé Vaniecia is a contemporary artist whose work explores the complexities of the human
experience through striking lines and symbolic storytelling. Centering emotions, relationships, and
personal narratives, her paintings and drawings reflect themes of joy, sorrow, resilience, and
transformation. By foregrounding vulnerability and human connection, Vaniecia emphasizes how shared
experiences unite us across cultural and societal divides.
A graduate of McMurry University (BA, Cum Laude, 2013), Vaniecia has exhibited nationally, with recent
solo shows including “To Be Seen, Not Heard” at the South Dallas Cultural Arts Center (2024) and “Is
This Living?” at Conduit Gallery (2022). Her work was published in New American Paintings (West Issue174) and has earned recognition through the Dallas Museum of Art’s Arch and Anne Giles Kimbrough Fund (2020) and multiple ArtsActivate grants from the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture. Her works are included in significant collections such as UT Southwestern, Meow Wolf, JP Morgan Chase, and Soho House.
