JOSEPH DRAKE
Special to The Leader
On Thursday, Oct. 3, Puerto Rican artist Yasmin Hernandez gave a presentation at SUNY Fredonia about her life and work. The event was organized by Fredonia’s Latinos Unidos group as a part of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Hernandez was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. Her parents were born in Puerto Rico and moved to the U.S. Hernandez attended Cornell University, where she received a bachelor of fine arts degree in painting.
Hernandez’s cultural heritage is a huge part of her work. Elements of Puerto Rican, Taino (an indigenous people of Puerto Rico) and African culture are recurring themes. Spirituality and Puerto Rico’s political struggles with American imperialism are two other major themes Hernandez examines.
The presentation given Thursday was titled “Libérate!” and included artwork from the past five years of Hernandez’s life. Latinos Unidos’ E-Board welcomed the audience and introduced themselves to open the presentation. Makayla Santiago, the group’s president, read an opening statement before Hernandez took the floor.
Hernandez began by explaining that in Spanish, “Libérate!” is a command, urging people to free themselves. She then elaborated on her efforts as a young adult to connect with her culture. Hernandez described her spiritual background. She was raised Catholic, but also had roots in spiritualism.
“Back at home, my grandfather was … what we would call a spiritualist,” Hernandez said. “It was this sort of dichotomy of what we were doing in church and what we were doing back at home.”
The artist talked about the importance of ancestry before showing pictures of altars she constructed to the Taino people. She also discussed the Orisha tradition of West Africa and her desire to draw less docile, more powerful goddesses than people are used to seeing. Hernandez touched upon gender roles and society’s desire to compartmentalize individuals.
“What are all these different aspects of liberation that we are talking about? All of these labels, all of these compartments, all of these boxes that we are placed into … and this was sort of my way of using art to examine these boxes and try to dismantle them,” Hernandez explained.
Hernandez then talked about political liberation. She told the audience about America’s imperialistic actions against many parts of Latin America throughout history, including Puerto Rico.
“Puerto Ricans, since 1917, have been United States citizens but have never been able to vote for a U.S. president,” said Hernandez. “Interestingly enough, being made citizens in 1917 meant that Puerto Ricans were then drafted into World War I and every war fought thereafter.”
She told stories about a series of pieces based on important historical figures and leaders involved with Puerto Rico’s independence movement. Hernandez spoke of leaders such as Pedro Albizu Campos, Lolita Lebron, Filiberto Ojeda Rios, Oscar Lopez River and Dylcia Pagan. Much of the history she relayed to the audience was information not often taught in American schools.
The artist also showed pictures of the Puerto Rican islands Culebra and Vieques, both heavily damaged by US Navy bombing. Their beaches are littered with old bombs; the islands are extremely contaminated. This has led to high rates of cancer and illness
on Vieques.
The final portion of Hernandez’s lecture was about personal liberation. Hernandez’s brother Joseph died from cancer two weeks after her first son Gabriel turned one year old.
“This is my brother’s hand with my baby’s hand,” Hernandez said, showing a painting of two palms: one large and one tiny. Her brother’s battle while Gabriel was just entering the world inspired her recent project “Luz.”
Hernandez also discussed her own tragic miscarriage and the birth of her second child Joseph. Art not only helped her share messages, but it helped Hernandez accept personal tragedies and move past them.
“What is your passion and what is your purpose and how does that drive you in your education, how does that drive you in your career aspirations, and how does that keep you personally liberated?” Hernandez asked the audience at the presentation’s conclusion.
Nathalie Guzman, Activities Chair for Latinos Unidos, discussed what she wanted students to get out of Hernandez’ lecture.
“I hope that they get inspired and they want to better themselves,” Guzman said. “Move forward, use what they know and what they love to move forward and achieve their dreams.”