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My Art is inspired by My African and Taino Roots
Prieta Art is a love letter to my African and Taíno Ancestors. Prieta is a color for black. In the Spanish language it’s used to identify black women (Prieta) or men (Prieto). As a child being called Prieta made me feel targeted. I was raised to believe that the color of my skin was something to be ashamed of. Indoctrination by my society and family convinced me to highlight the European aspects of myself. Today, I have Reclaimed the word Prieta! Embracing my Beautiful, Radiant, Electrifying, Melanated, Prieta Skin!
My life's mission is to unlearn years of brainwashing and teach others our true history. I know that Being Afro-Caribbean allows me to feel those in my lineage and express their Love for Life. With Pride, I celebrate my African and Taino ancestors through my art.
My aim is to educate our community about our past in order to learn from our experiences. I want everyone to fall in love with the many gifts of African and Indigenous cultures. Decolonize our thinking about our connectivity to each other and our land. There has been enough hatred and divisiveness in our society. Let us Unite to Learn, Live and Love Together.
As a life-long educator and learner, I welcome the opportunity to continue teaching our community about the Taíno people and the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. The only way to begin dismantling white supremacist systems and decolonizing our mindset is to learn about our true history. Knowing our true past unlocks the pathway to us healing as a People.
My artwork is an expression of All of me on canvas
Recreation of a Taino Village near Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.
Taino, Arawakan-speaking people who had the misfortune of greeting Christopher Columbus in 1492; inhabited what are now Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti (Hispaniola/Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Once the most numerous indigenous people of the Caribbean, the Taino may have numbered one to three million at the time of the Spanish colonization in the late 15th century.
Taino Petroglyphs in The Caguana Ceremonial Park, Utuado, Puerto Rico. There are millions of recorded Taino Petroglyphs throughout the Caribbean. They are ancient symbols carved on stone and in caves documenting the life and culture of these indigenous peoples.
My Ancestral Composition is 57% Sub-Saharan African. As a child I was taught Anti-Haitian ideals. It has taken me a life-time to unlearn this way of thinking and to Embrace All My Africanism. I have always felt a strong connection to Nigeria and the West African Coast. Researching my genealogy fueled my love for African Art, fabrics, food, music and spirituality. Each time I create I feel my African Ancestors communicating through me. I encourage everyone to seek their true history.
