Exu Elegua Sits and Waits Drawing

On my last day visiting Havana, for the 2015 Bienal, I wandered into a public square, where book dealers were offering their goods. And, at the very last stall I visited, I found an oversize atlas of Cuba, bereft of its cover and in general poor shape. It seemed a wonderful basis for recording some of my impressions of the country; and I was especially pleased to learn that it was published, in 1960, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution, making it a historical document as well! The maps, like every cultural expression in Cuba, are vivid and colorful – which makes them, also, a challenge to incorporate into artwork. Yet, these colorful maps depict the most institutional and boring of data: soil composition, evaporation rates, etc. In this way, they metaphorically express the political-cultural tension people face. By adjoining two maps to face one another, I was able to imply, in profile, the seated figure of Exu Elegua, a major orisha of Yoruban spirituality, which has flourished as Santeria in Cuba. Exu sits facing right; the largely pink pie chart floating over the small olive map of Cuba at center-right becomes his eye, and his profile extends down to his beard at the little map’s end. The large, highly colorful map of Cuba on the left becomes Exu’s outer head, a common feature in Yoruba depictions of him. The color fields are red and black, Exu’s color combination, defining his form. The drawing covers aspects of the map’s printed forms. The pages are joined, on the reverse, with clear acid-free archival tape, used by fine bookbinders.

Drawing:Pencil on Paper

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:38 W x 30 H x 0.1 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.