We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Domonique Brown. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Domonique below.

Domonique, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I first used the name “DomoINK,” in 2018 when I was selling pins and earrings on Etsy. I was always under the impression that my art featuring people of color would not sell. So, I focused on selling other products. After running my Etsy shop for a few months, I shut it down to focus on saving for my first home. I spent the next year working two full-time jobs while juggling going to school for my MBA in marketing at the same time.

In April 2020, weeks after we just moved into our new home, I quit my second job. With the world around me “shut down” during the pandemic. I decided it was time to finally put myself out there as an artist. And, it also gave me an opportunity to decorate my home.

As I was looking for things for my home and I couldn’t find anything that spoke to me. All the art I was seeing in-stores was boring. It felt like I was looking at a “meal without seasoning.”
Simply put, I have never felt more unseen as a Black woman than in the pages of interior magazines. Did Black people not buy homes? Did we not design interior products? Were there no interior styles or trends that could be attributed to Black culture? Evidently not, according to interior design magazines, retail stores, art galleries, and art museums. There have been recent steps that show that “black homes matter” like Target’s annual Black History Month collection. However, I just felt it was not enough.

What started as a passion project for myself turned into a lifestyle brand that is injected with black culture. DomoINK is here to empower men and women of color through art 365 days a year. My goal is to open up doors through my efforts to make black art more accessible and inclusive in major retail distribution. I am always looking to create new art pieces that highlight a range of black skin tones, hair stylings, and at times, inspiring quotes written within the art. Since officially starting DomoINK in 2020, I have had the opportunity to sell DomoINK in major retailers such as Target and Homegoods.

Domonique, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a 29-year-old designer and illustrator based in Jurupa Valley, CA. During the day, I work as a marketing manager for my 9-5. At night, I am an art director and designer creating new art and building my brand, DomoINK. I have collaborated with Target, Forbes, Bleacher Report, LA Times, Disney, and Samsung to name a few. And, my artwork has been featured in numerous exhibitions and galleries. And, I have been interviewed by multiple national outlets like CNBC, IHeart Radio with Ryan Seacrest as the interviewer, Forbes, and NowThis News to speak on my art and entrepreneurship.

As an illustrator and designer, my main focus is showcasing the underrepresented in portraits, so viewers can see a depiction of their identity and feel empowered.

But, I wear other hats. I am a designer, content creator, and vlogger passionate about art, representation, travel, and female entrepreneurship. My overall goal is to inspire people to get out and live the best possible versions of themselves by seeing someone who looks like them live out her dreams through hard work and putting herself out there.

My Artist Statement

Utilizing bright and vivid colors, my artwork is an expression of my life’s journey and represents humans in a joyous, uplifting way. In a world filled with darkness and trauma, I wish for my art to be a source of light and positivity, creating a more colorful world that exists beyond the validity of our environment.

What is the message that I want my art to exude? The celebration of diversity in everyday life.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

What is the most meaningful thing about putting myself out there as an artist, I have been able to serve as an inspiration for other artists and creatives. I consider myself a small artist that has had the opportunities of a lifetime. And, I want to continue to show other creatives that if you have a dream, do not let anyone stop you from accomplishing it. You don’t need investors, a huge following, or know someone. You can create your own destiny by working hard and making the moves needed.

Another meaningful thing for me is being able to bring representation and joy into people’s homes through the products DomoINK sells.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I would love to create NFTs in the future. I am saddened that I missed the huge wave of NFTs last year because I did not understand it at all. If there is ever another wave, I hope to be a part of it.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://domoink.com
• Instagram: @domo.ink
• Tiktok: @domoink
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/domothecreative
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/shopdomoink
• Linkedin: http://linkedin.in/domoniqueb
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/thedomoink

Image Credits
Photography by Sharonda Brown and Dante’ Farris