Artworks

Anacaona has always represented to me more than a historical figure; she embodies grace, intelligence, and resistance rooted in the earliest identity of this land. As a Taíno queen of Xaragua, born in what is now Léogâne, she stands at the intersection of culture, leadership, and tragedy. Her story is not only one of loss, but of dignity in the face of violence.

When I created the statue of Anacaona in 2013, my intention was to give her a physical presence that reconnects her to her territory and to our collective memory. I approached this work as both an artist and a witness to history, seeking to translate her strength and refinement into form. Every line, posture, and volume was conceived to reflect her dual nature, poetic and powerful, serene yet unbreakable.

This project was made possible through an initiative of the FAES (Fonds d’Assistance Économique et Sociale), with financial support from the German Embassy in Haiti. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to cultural preservation and public art, allowing this important historical figure to be honored within her own geographic and cultural space.

Through this sculpture, I wanted to move beyond the simplified narrative often associated with her and instead emphasize her role as a leader and cultural figure. She was not only a victim of colonization; she was a strategist, a voice, and a symbol of a sophisticated indigenous civilization.

Realizing this statue in Léogâne, the land of Xaragua, was essential. It situates her presence where her story began, allowing the work to resonate directly with the space and its history. The sculpture becomes more than an object; it becomes a marker of identity and remembrance.

This work is part of my broader artistic commitment to explore and honor the figures who shape our history and to translate them into forms that speak to the present. With Anacaona, I sought not only to represent the past, but to affirm its enduring presence in Haitian consciousness.