Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Fine and Decorative Art and Design
Abstract
During the period between 1930-1961, the Dominican Republic experienced one of the longest and most brutal totalitarian dictatorship regimes of modern times, imposed by a tyrant named Rafael Leonidas Trujillo.1 During this period, nothing could be said or done without the consent of the so-called “Benefactor of the fatherland”. Artists' creativity and self-expressions were not allowed to be used as means to disapprove of the regime, but to please and adulate the dictator. Some artists stopped painting and some others went to live in exile. However, there was an artist whose career flourished during the era, his name is Jorge Octavio Morel Tavarez, better known by his artist name: Yoryi Morel.
The purpose of this research is to reveal the factors that contributed to the success of Yoryi Morel's career, within the context of the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, as well as understanding his approach to painting, the influence other artists might have had in shaping his work and the cultural significance of his paintings for the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean and the Latin America artworld.
This study seeks to replace the myth surrounding Yoryi Morel with the facts, grounded in documented historical evidence found in paintings, catalogues, exhibitions, newspapers, books, and personal testimonies.
Recommended Citation
Sosa Veras, Zoila Neris, "Demystifying Dominican Artist Yoryi Morel and His Approach to Painting" (2026). MA in Fine and Decorative Art and Design Dissertations. 9.
https://digitalcommons.sia.edu/ma_fine_ad/9