elements, elementos, apuxii’no
2023
ceramic, stretch mesh, tapioca pearls, glaze, rayon thread, cassava flour, ceramic decal
26″ x 19″
This ceramic is the center piece for the installation. It is inspired from plant forms which contain representations of all the elements through the six directions that are conduits of different energies. The piece is a combination of different forms of cassava products from tapioca to ground cassava that are used for ceremony, reverence and communication with ancestors and other spirits.
juntando pedasos de historia, piecing together history
2023
cassava leaves, white and black mesh, corn husks, wood, cotton thread, banana leaf powder
80″ x 54″
I think of this piece as the backdrop for ‘elements, elementos, apuxxi’no’. It is made entirely of natural materials from dried cassava leaves to corn husks and wood. It functions as a backdrop but is also a display of the power that isolating a piece of nature from its natural environment can have in relation to western structures of architecture. It is reminiscent of materials and styles found in the Caribbean from DIY homes and decor. It reminds me of the landscape as much as our histories with cassava as a people and what that represents in terms of sustaining a connection to our literal and metaphorical roots.
roosters hugging, gallos abrazando
2023
ceramic, glaze, rooster feathers, jute cord, ceramic decal
Roosters have an iconic presence in Caribbean culture being the literal face of patriarchy and masculinity through its associations to cock fighting. I grew up with cock fighting around me as a kid well beyond leaving the island. It is a homosocial space of bonding through the abuse of animals. I wanted to center this piece around representations of love over a meeting of two roosters. The drawing is a decal print over the glaze of two male athletes hugging and crying. I sourced rooster feathers as a frame to pay respect to the roosters, as do many indigenous teachings of the spiritual connection of birds and feathers.
ojo de el arco, eye of the bow
ceramic, glaze, stretch mesh, dyed cotton mesh, cotton, fabric print, cotton thread
23″ x 8″
Ojo de el arco is a Taino saying that arose from archery. It is a saying that represents many things to me but emphasizes a target. With ceramics I want to envision what queer embodiment could look like outside of traditional figuration. How it can consider visual protection and anonymity (sovereignty). I included textile work, which I did before focusing on sculpture, and represented with it a digital element (green arrows) and manual visual communication, a system of knotting.
About:
These are some of the pieces which were shown as part of my MFA thesis show at Hunters 205 Hudson Gallery as part of ‘Estuary’. While studying western art history and expanding my ceramic skills I had also been devoting time and attention to relearning Caribbean history. I grew up not knowing much about our island’s history despite having a lot of privilege growing up in the States. I started taking courses with a Taino cacique (teacher/chief/elder) and putting the pieces together of our split islands shared histories. After coming across a couple of books on Taino Saladoid pottery and drawing inspiration from nostalgic memories of my connection to the land of Ayiti I created these pieces as an homage to that time. My practice now reflects my evolution today as a queer Dominican highlighting indigenous and spiritual practices in relation with nature. For more info my thesis paper ‘dulce suenos de tierra’ has context on my background and personal experiences in relation to important Caribbean history about sovereignty and love.
Bio:
Jordany Genao is a Dominican interdisciplinary artist and educator based in Queens, NY (Lenapehoking). In their practice they emphasize visual and theoretical connections between Arawak-taino cosmology and ceramics, Caribbean plants, and queerness. The space that nature occupies in their work is an affirmation of ancestral practices to co-create homes, medicine, and portals with nature. By working with Caribbean plants and unarchiving Arawak-Taino ceramic history they celebrate the anti-colonial values of working with nature to affirm their connection to an abundant land and culture.
They completed their MFA at Hunter College in May 2023. Their work has been featured in group shows at Flux Factory (Queens, NY), Turley Gallery (Hudson, NY) and in Apogee Journal and Hyperallergic.
