Journey to Borikén
Self-funded & Self-directed Artist Residency (non-program), January 2022
Borikén is a beautiful island surrounded by crystal blue water. This past January, I traveled to the island to connect with my ancestral roots, land, story, and research the vejigante.
In the mountains of Carolina which was once part of Loiza, I went to work on my mother’s farm — helping to maintain and cultivate the land. I began each day with a ritual of pulling a tarot card from the Herbcrafter’s tarot deck. It is used as a tool for divination and a way to communicate with spirit. I found guidance through its messages during my visitation on the island.
Ten of Earth: Horsetail…Ancient magic - find strength deep within. Understand your connection to the greater purpose in life. Pause and connect often with all you have been given. You come from ancestral giants. The future can build on the strength of the past.
Everyday, I listened to my surroundings, all the sounds and wildlife - roosters, birds, coquis, dogs, and cats. The wind seemed to caress the palms, flamboyan and African tulip trees around my mother’s home. There’s a sacredness in where my mother’s house stands today.
During the 1900s, the land was overseen by my grandfather who was a Black man, a merchant, grew sugarcane and other crops to sell at his shop. My mom was a child when he passed on and my White grandmother took on the responsibility. Fast forward many decades later, my mom built her home with the assistance of her brother on the land they grew up on.
Now, the land grows avocado, guanabana (soursop), coconut, pana (breadfruit) and moringa. There was so much to take in as everywhere resonated with a story in the lush green colors of the plants and the vibrant blues of the sky. This gave me inspiration to paint a mural for my mother.
The mural was recreated from a poster she favored and requested to be painted on her wall. It was a doorway to the ocean. The ocean is similar to the inner ebb and flow of emotion. While painting the mural, I would feel the waves of emotion and hear voices all too familiar. Voices that insisted in doubting who I am and where I belong became louder as I painted. Slowing down my breath and immersing myself into the painting opened me up and helped me relax.
Hija of Water: Chamomile…Give yourself permission to be playful with your heart. Embrace your dreams and lose yourself in imagination.
One day, my mother and I took a break from cutting grass and painting to go to the city and visit a museum. She wanted me to see, Felipe Birriel Fernández, “El Gigante de Carolina”, The Giant of Carolina who was the tallest Puerto Rican of nearly 7 feet and 11 inches. There was a museum dedicated in his honor.
Although, we mistakenly went to the Art and History Museum and there I learned about my culture and saw a familiar symbol of my Taino ancestors, Mautiatibuel - the Sun deity. That day was filled with art and we even got to meet some artists. It felt good to be seen and felt like I belonged. It felt easy like stepping out into the ocean.
