Stranger in the Village. Virginia, US (2019)

 In Stranger in the Village, I am referencing James Baldwin’s essay of the same name. Baldwin speaks about his relationship with Christianity and writes that “other children, having been taught that the devil is a Black man, scream in genuine anguish as I approach.” I try to establish the relationship between being Black, a demon and carnival culture and aesthetics in the Caribbean. In traditional Carnival, which is sometimes also referred to as ole mas, there are traditional carnival characters. One of them is called a Jab-jab, words that come from the French word diable, which means devil.

In Stranger in the Village, I become a demon and alien. The flashlight that follows me around in the room is meant to represent authority or some sort of policing.The light moves in a searching motion. I am standing in the middle of the room wearing a mask that I call Zorg (that means "care" in Dutch). It has two golden horns and pieces of mirrors throughout. At the end of the performance, I go to my knees and surrender. 

Forgive Me (2019) 

Forgive Me consists of an installation of ashes on the ground. There is a saying in Latin America, “Las palabras se las lleva el viento” meaning words are taken by the winds. This saying is asking for a call to action. Words fade but actions are permanent. 

"On the floor are ashes. I drop to my knees. Using both of my hands I write the phrase forgive me. I stand up and proceed to erase the phrase by whipping the ashes. The ash fills the air. 

Then…the lights go out."