La Cena (The Supper), 1991

Collography
139 x 300 cm (6 units @ 69,5 X 100 cm)

Collection of Galeri Nasional Indonesia


Belkis' artistic practice is based around Sikán; the pioneer and only female figure in the Abakuá traditions of Cuba. This tradition began in 1836, alongside the river where Cameroon and Nigeria met, where African slaves are made to work on sugar plantations. According to legend, Sikán was approached by the most important heirloom of her community which ended in her being killed at an alter of sacrifice. Her body then became the foundation of the Abakuá religious system, almost all of whom were men.

In the eyes of Belkis, Sikán is a marginalised figure who shares similarities with her experience as a member of minority social groups: as a woman, a person of colour and an artist. Many of Belkis’s works depict different moments in Sikán’s life and her death. [...]

These images are often combined with imagery from Christianity. In the work, La Cena, Belkis, incorporates an element from Leonardo da Vinci’s work, Last Supper, to bring the figure of Sikán ‘back to life’. In the feast ritual, which is also present in the Abakuá culture, Sikán is sitting in the middle of the table amongst figures of ambiguous gender. Through her works, Belkis is creating an opportunity for a different ending for Sikán’s life story: a scenario in which she isn’t killed simply for being.

 

About the Artist

Belkis is remembered as one of the pioneers of graphic design in Cuba and Latin America. Belkis, who graduated from the San Alejandro Academy, used the technique of collagraphy and deconstructed the masculinist mythology and iconography of African-Cuban society.

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