According to Armitano Domingo, moving between these different disciplines was natural. “Music was my gateway into history—it was my entry point,” he explains, noting it opened the door to the Baroque and Renaissance eras which have inspired so much of his work. His whimsical illustrations began as an adornment to his ceramics—rudimentary at first, but becoming more sophisticated and ornate as he progressed. It only makes sense, then, that his next step would be oil painting. “Oil is the most forgiving medium I’ve worked with,” he says, noting it allows him to keep revising the image infinitely. “I’m not sure why artists today consider it the most challenging medium.”
In all of his work, there’s an uncanny sense of something familiar, but delivered with a sly, knowing wink—by knowing his references inside out, Armitano Domingo is able to quietly subvert them. Instead of the typical meticulous lines and exactitudes of fine china, he brings a homemade, even child-like touch, using motifs like worms, beetles, and fruit. “Great art is often made with the culminated knowledge of multiple generations—that’s why I look to the past for inspiration,” he says. “I learn about different beauty ideals, conventions, and techniques even though they have long gone out of style. It’s all to have a better understanding of humanity.”