Artist Beatrice Domond: "This world was not designed for someone of my race and gender"
As a skater, Beatrice Domond says she sees the world very differently. She attributes this to her "skaters eye" — something she has ostensibly honed after some two decades of skating. The 27-year-old artist started skating at the age of seven: "I honestly can say it just came to me," she says. "I saw it, I loved it, I skated."
Domond shot to fame after some skating clips she submitted to filmmaker William Strobeck appeared in his 2014 feature, 'cherry', a full-length skating film that Strobeck directed with Supreme; Strobeck is now widely considered to be one of the most influential filmmakers in the skating world, and 'cherry' would go on to become a cult video.
Since then, Domond has gone on to produce several high-profile works of her own. Last year, she designed two shoes for Vans — making it the first time a Black woman had her name on a pair of Vans — and, most recently, was one of 200 artists who designed a unique trunk for Louis Vuitton's '200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries' exhibition.
Domond's trunk, which also functions as a moveable skateboard, comes lined with grip tape. On the tape, Domond inscribed several quotes close to her heart. "I think words are more important than we think," she says. "There's magic in words."
Here, Domond talks more about her creation for the Louis 200 exhibition, and about the significance of her work.
What was your artistic process for the Louis 200 trunk?
Usually how I start any project is just by thinking. I'll have a ton of ideas and I'll allow them to play in my head for a while, like 2 or 3 days. Whatever is left by the end of that thinking process is the idea I will decide to go with. I did know I wanted something to be "of me" like when you saw it. You think that's Beatrice, not that's Beatrice trying to be something she's not.
I'd love to hear more about the quotes on the grip tape. Why did you incorporate these quotes, specifically, on the trunk?
I love words. I think words are more important than we think. There is magic in words. Those quotes I picked because some of them are timeless, like: “time is here now" can forever be used in your life. And “I spent all my love,” was when I was just getting out of a break up. I was going through it. I felt as if I had spent all of my love and I needed to be reimbursed!
In your artist interview for the Louis 200 trunk, you mentioned that because you're a skateboarder, the world is so different — you see everything differently. What did you mean by that?
I do! I have what Jerry Hsu calls "Skaters Eye". I see everything like a skateboarder. I can skate this, I can skate that. That would be a sick photo. That would not. It's very hard to explain. You have to have it. Skaters know what I am talking about. Real ones.
Aside from this project with Louis Vuitton, you've also done several other high profile collaborations (with Vans, for example, and you joining Supreme's skate team as its first female member). What does it mean to you, as a Black woman, to have this visibility and to be able to put your name and mark on projects of this scale?
It means a lot. I worked very hard to get where I am. And I think it shows others that if you love something and work very hard at that something you can achieve it.
What do you think about the fact that your gender, and to an extent, your race, are often mentioned adjacent to your accomplishments?
I don't know. I guess people are shocked. This world was not designed for someone of my race and gender. I guess they're just like "wow, how the heck did she do it." It's real simple to me though.
Ultimately, what do you want your work, your art, to do or say?
I want my work and art to say "BEATRICE WAS HERE". And she loved what she did... every second of it. And we can see it.
Louis Vuitton’s 200 Trunks, 200 Visionaries: The Exhibition will take place at the Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza from now till April 27.
