I’m Hemmely Reyes, a Dominican multidisciplinary artist based in New York. My work brings together painting, knitting, crochet, and wire to explore womanhood, anxiety, memory, identity, and the experiences passed down through generations.

I often begin by painting directly onto canvas before cutting the finished painting into strips and transforming it through knitting or crocheting. This process requires me to destroy the original painting in order to create something entirely new. What once existed as a flat image is broken apart, reassembled, and given new life as a sculptural, tactile, and dimensional work. Through this transformation, the canvas moves beyond its traditional surface and becomes something alive.

Painting allows me to express emotions and ideas that can be difficult to communicate through words or recognizable imagery. Once the painting is cut apart, its original form is no longer preserved, but its colors, marks, and emotional energy remain within the new piece. I am interested in this tension between destruction and creation, and in the act of letting go of one artwork to make space for another.

The repetitive nature of knitting and crocheting helps calm my anxiety and gives me space to slow down and process my thoughts. There is something comforting about working with my hands and allowing an image or idea to develop gradually. This physical process also connects me to the women who came before me, particularly the generations of women who used their hands to create, care for others, and preserve traditions. Through these practices, I transform difficult emotions into something physical and meaningful while feeling connected to a history that extends beyond my own experience.

My practice is deeply influenced by the history of fiber art and its connection to women’s labor. By combining techniques traditionally viewed as craft with painting and sculpture, I question the boundaries between fine art and handmade work. I also honor the generations of women whose creativity and labor have often been overlooked.

My Dominican heritage, personal memories, and background in psychology all shape the stories I tell. Some pieces begin with historical figures or cultural traditions, while others grow from anxiety, vulnerability, and the complicated process of becoming who I am.

I received my bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in studio art from Stony Brook University. My work has been included in group exhibitions throughout Long Island, and in 2025, I presented my solo exhibition, Woven Voices.

For me, making art is a way of remembering, healing, questioning, and connecting. Each piece reflects a process of transformation, patience, and emotional expression, including the destruction of one form and the creation of something new.