Art is a core value of DOMA. We believe artists and a healthy community go hand-in-hand. We’re excited to launch our latest set of illustrated labels, hand painted by fine artist Red Matthews.
At DOMA, roasting coffee is our way of expressing art. It’s craft with a human hand. Science with style. Our way of making a beautiful thing we can send out into the world.
We package our coffee with visual art to reflect that pursuit. In these illustrated labels, painter and tattoo artist Red Matthews created something hand-drawn that would sing toward who we are and what we value.
Choosing a fine artist to illustrate DOMA Coffee labels was a culture choice. As so much around us spins toward the artificial, we’re lifting up art that has a clear human touch. Real brushstrokes mean more now than they ever did. And real artists gotta eat.
Red Matthew’s art is something we love for its depth. It is rich in the way that it opens up the longer and closer you look at it.
Painting. Roasting. Passing fresh-brewed coffee around the table. It all means a little more when you think of it as a nod from one human putting their whole heart into it to another.
The Art in the Making
We spent months working with Red to develop the characters on these labels. From sketches to random strikes of inspiration, a tattoo on our CEO, and all the fine-tuning of the final product, these labels were a collaboration between artists, owners, designers and writers.
Jacob Redmond, known in the art world as Red Matthews, has a background as storied as the characters he creates. Trained as a painter, he spent 30 years in the tattoo business before returning to fine art. Whether it's skin or canvas, Red’s attention and depth are two things that draw us to his work.
Red’s art reimagines classic Americana, mixing contemporary Western style with ‘40s-‘60s vintage art from South America. Red grew up with the myths of the west, then explored it not by horseback but by motorcycle, riding long in remote country through eastern Oregon with just a backpack of provisions. It inspired him to create art that speaks to how simple work in big-sky places shifts one’s perspective and fills their spirit.
From en plein air painting atop plateaus near Santa Fe to commissioned portraits, Red’s work often centers on landscapes and the blue collar and working class. He interrogates the vastness of the land and the magic of everyday objects, blending myth and nostalgia into the sort of visual stories folks can get lost in. We’re happy to be on the receiving end.
The Chronic
The Chronic is our well-worn dark roast, a cult classic from the moment it was created. It is unapologetically roast-forward while staying pleasantly sweet with bittersweet dark chocolate notes. We’ve brought all the nuance and craft we apply to lighter roasts to create a dark roast with complexity and layers of flavor. It holds up great with cream or served black.
The Chronic Super Dank
The Chronic Super Dank might come on sweet, but it packs a dark, roasty punch that is great on Kalita or drip. This is our ultra dark roast coffee, both balanced and smooth. Notes of dried fruit, dark chocolate and clove linger on the palate.
La Bicicletta
Italian for “bicycle,” La Bicicletta celebrates our love for cycling by supporting women’s cycling teams. A mellow sweetness spins with mild acidity and a bold body in this organic blend. It’s perfect with a splash of cream and a morning ride.
Lucia's
Lucia’s is an accessible single-origin that opens with a subtle brightness and sugary sweetness. The full body and complexity of this coffee make it a beautiful Guatemala with notes of warming spice, dried fruit and brown sugar.
Rüby’s
Rüby’s is an exceptional blend of Ethiopia and Sumatra coffee. It shines with a blueberry-type sweetness, balanced by an earthy, nutty profile. This is a great coffee to savor on pour-over. It also makes for a silky espresso.
DOMA has long valued artist contributions to our design. The Chronic, The Chronic Super Dank, and La Bicicletta were previously illustrated by Montana artist Josh Quick, whose quirky style and color defined an era of DOMA style. We’ve selected real art for our seasonal labels Summer Lovin’, Rite of Spring and Winter Wonderland for years, featuring work from Em Deane Kelley, Gianna Andrews, Hanna Kuhns, Ashley Dreyfus and others. Before that, we were OG and used an in-house letterpress to create coffee label magic. We just feel the art of coffee is best paired with visual art. And that a community with thriving artists is a healthy one.
Shop the Collection
The label art is just the start. Order a bag of DOMA Coffee to see what it tastes like when passion meets product.
