Vasija Taina Artwork

Born in New York City of Puerto Rican parents who came during the great migration of the 1940s, I grew up in the slums and projects of New York struggling to understand the cultural, political and economic impact of the mainland on my community. I delved deeply into the history and culture of my community, and sought to embody in my work their generosity, nobility, and love of land and family. My search for roots led me to the indigenous peoples of the Americas as well as various Taino tribal organizations. Participation in sacred native ceremonies serves to anchor my work in the spiritual, and reflects the journey of redescubrimiento. Puerto Rican and pre-columbian symbols and myths have been the signature themes of the work.

Each symbol, myth, and ceremony form the narrative that pulls the viewer into the transformative power of the past as both an individual and artist. Created with traditional and computer techniques, the works seem to exist as real objects, but in reality are inventions existing totally in a cyber-reality. This cyber-reality can be likened to the alternate reality that indigenous shamans have witnessed from time immemorial. The viewer delves into the mystery of a culture where life is vibrant, emotional, and yet not so simple.