This series of works is about mixed heritage and syncretism. As a result of ancient patterns of migration and later, colonization, radically different cultures were forced to converge in the Caribbean region. In their struggle for survival, each one fought to preserve their idiosyncrasies and forms of faith, amidst chaos. Catholicism and Protestantism were forcefully imposed by old and modern day colonizers. Indigenous, West, North African, Middle Eastern spiritual practices and beliefs had to be disguised under multiple narratives to survive and this merging was a form of resistance and conservation (not a form of assimilation!). The result was a diverse blend of mythology, symbology and imagination. So, in many circles in this region, polytheism, fortune and magical thinking are engrained in everyday life. It is intertwined with mainstream religions and affects the way we gather, how we arrange our homes, how we connect with the spiritual world for help, our folklore, our attitudes towards life, language and colloquialisms.
My intention is to show the complex beauty of decrees or spells, in the form of amulets and "amarres" ("ties" or "knots" in Spanish). It is a common way to ask "the beyond" for help, for action or protection. A powerful, creative force builds when thought, language, objects and materials are bonded. Ritualistic repetition becomes an act of affirmation. Knotting or stitching thread evokes ancestral concepts of interconnection, multiplicity/oneness, crossing of the physical and spiritual "planos". I assign personal meaning and symbolism to found beads, objects, twigs, shells, flowers and strips of materials, then mix it with a wish for good fortune, protection or to communicate what I want with purpose, to the universe.
