Hi, my name is Perla Mabel, also known as Plátano Perls. I am an interdisciplinary artist and cultural organizer based between Boston and the Dominican Republic.

I am building Plátano Haus, a community-built art studio, gallery, and cultural space in Boca Canasta, Baní rooted in sustainable clay construction, Afro-Indigenous history, and collective learning.

The project creates a safe space for women and children to learn, create, and connect through art, storytelling, ecological practices, and ancestral knowledge.

Working alongside Ninette and , we will use traditional clay-building methods while hosting public workshops where local residents directly participate in constructing the center themselves.

Alongside the center, I am creating public altar and sculpture installations in Santo Domingo’s Zona Colonial exploring memory, ritual, and Caribbean cultural preservation.

This project is about building cultural infrastructure through community participation, sustainability, and collective care.

This is my video entry for the O’Shaughnessy Fellowships & Grants program to make Platano Haus a reality.