Revolutionizing Renaissance: Celebrating Afro-Cuban Artists Championing Black Excellence

Michelangelo's famous "Creation of Adam," Sandro Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus," and Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" are often regarded as Western art's grand visual narratives of humanity's origins, encompassing its triumphs, beauty, tragedies, and profound meaning. However, it cannot be denied that these iconic artworks predominantly feature white subjects. This is primarily due to the fact that for centuries, the artistic traditions of the European Renaissance have held the authority over such themes. During the 15th to 16th century, art began to be recognized as a branch of knowledge, valuable in its own right, providing humanity with divine imagery and insights into our place in the universe, as noted by Britannica.

But Harmonia Rosales, an Afro-Cuban American artist, is aiming to challenge the prevailing dominance of Western ideologies. Currently, an exhibition titled "Harmonia Rosales: Master Narrative" is showcasing a selection of her work at the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art in Atlanta. (A previous version of the exhibition was initially presented last year at the AD&A Museum at the University of California, Santa-Barbara.)

At the core of Rosales art is the idea that "storytelling is a journey of personal discovery and a reclamation of ones cultural identity."

Elon Schoenholz/Harmonia Rosales

Rosales presents a thought-provoking exploration of creation through the lens of the Black diaspora, using 20 oil paintings and a large sculptural installation. This comprehensive exhibition spans seven years of Rosales' work, combining the techniques and influences of European Old Masters who focused on Christianity and Greco-Roman mythology, with the rich characters, themes, and stories of the Yorùbá religion.

The Yorùbá faith tradition revolves around Olodumare, the supreme creator, and a vast pantheon of orishas, who collectively govern the world and humanity. With its origins in Western Africa thousands of years ago, the Yorùbá faith was suppressed during slavery, as many White slave masters perceived it as malevolent and a challenge to their desired obedience.

According to a museum plaque for Rosales' art piece titled "Ori," the Yorùbá word for "head," signifies not only the physical cranium but also encompasses the concept of individual fate which is regarded as a divine essence dwelling within it.

Renaissance art largely neglected Black individuals, despite its emergence during the early stages of the transatlantic slave trade that transported around 10.7 million African men, women, and children to the Americas. Among them were approximately 1.67 million Yorùbá followers.

Why center Black individuals in an artform that marginalized them, instead of establishing an entirely new platform to articulate this "master narrative?" According to Rosales, the most effective approach to diversify the medium is to work from within its limitations.

"Because it's what has become mainstream. I am endeavoring to enlighten the majority about a religion that has long remained concealed," Rosales explained. "My intention is to present it in a straightforward, comprehensible, and easily digestible manner, enabling us to delve deeper into its intricacies."

"I am embarking on a journey to redefine the representation of Black women in advertising," she expressed. "By creatively reinterpreting well-known visuals, I am determined to accurately showcase their true essence."

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Finding her artistic flair

Rosales, with her diverse heritage including Jamaican roots, always struggled with feeling inadequate in terms of her identity. She never fit neatly into any specific racial or ethnic category and faced challenges with societal expectations of beauty. For instance, she wanted to embrace her natural curly and kinky hair, but society typically deemed straight hair as more attractive. To conform to these standards, she would chemically straighten her hair using products gifted by her grandmother. Additionally, she noticed that her elbows and knees tended to be darker than the rest of her body.

Although she initially pursued art school in Chicago, Rosales found herself unsatisfied with the limitations it imposed on her creativity. Instead, she sought inspiration from art books, research, and museums. By closely studying paintings, particularly those by Renaissance artists, she admired the dedication and love poured into their work. Through these masterpieces, Rosales recognized that they formed the foundation of American beauty and shaped society's perception of beauty as a whole.

As a self-taught artist, Rosales first became well known after sharing her painting "The Creation of God" (pictured below) on social media in 2017.

In Rosales' "Creation of God," God is a Black woman.

Lucy Garrett/Harmonia Rosales

Rethinking conditioning

Over the years, Rosales has had her work exhibited at various prestigious venues, including the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art in Brooklyn, and the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.

Rosales was filled with anticipation when she became a mother for the first time, envisioning a "mini me" who would share her passion for art museums, especially Renaissance art. However, when Rosales took her 4 or 5-year-old daughter to a gallery featuring artworks from that era, it was met with disappointment.

"I couldn't understand why she didn't enjoy it," Rosales recalled, reflecting on a specific portrait. "She simply said, 'She doesn't resemble me.'"

"I viewed (the art) with a fresh perspective, untainted by the societal pressures on appearance," she expressed. "I don't want my daughter to be influenced like I was... I want her to embrace and love her hair, skin, lips, nose, and everything about herself."

Alongside the creation of powerful narratives that resonate with her children, Rosales also aims to empower and showcase the beauty and resilience of Black women, which is evident in her body of work.

Rosales' work demonstrates her journey towards empowerment and self-love, with figures in her artworks painted with features she used to dislike about herself.

Courtesy Harmonia Rosales

"I wanted to visually depict women of color, specificallybecause Im a womanas something of pure power," Rosales said.

Rosales' artworks depict individuals with dark skin, often incorporating blue-black tones and occasionally incorporating silvery elements, which enhance their majestic and mythical qualities.

When observed in person, the figures in her paintings possess such a lifelike quality that it almost feels as though one could reach out and touch them. Rosales deliberately aimed to achieve this effect by adopting a technique employed by European Old Masters when portraying white skin, which resulted in a radiant and standout appearance on the canvas. This approach involves applying thin layers of paint to highlight different features and create a sense of depth. However, what distinguishes Rosales' approach is her use of a diverse range of colors, including varying shades of browns, blacks, reds, greens, and blues, to accurately represent a variety of melanated skin tones.

A thrift store shopper playfully claimed to have stumbled upon a renowned artist's masterpiece for a mere $4. As it turns out, her claim was indeed true.

In addition, the African diaspora showcases a striking range of physical attributes. Amongst its diverse members are voluptuous and slim women, individuals with lighter skin tones blessed with blonde hair, albinism, or freckles. Furthermore, the diaspora boasts brown-skinned characters donning captivating red locks and exhibiting vitiligo, a condition that results in patches of depigmented skin due to the destruction of melanin-producing cells.

Putting our perspective into the grand narrative

"Due to the fear of being killed or punished, we resorted to concealing Yorùbá gods within these White masks for an extensive period of time. As a result, with each passing generation, we gradually lost sight of the true identities behind these masks," Rosales explained, referring to the practice among Yorùbá adherents of blending their gods with significant Catholic figures possessing similar meanings. Through this covert approach, worship could be carried out discreetly.

Rosales' "Lady of Regla."

Rosales' "Lady of Regla" portrait explores this concept, highlighting the connection between the Catholic Virgin of Regla, the sole Black Mary figure in Cuba, and the orisha Yemaya, revered as the mother of all and the goddess of the ocean in the Americas.

The content fragment rewritten in a better way:

The artwork portrays a luxurious depiction of Yemaya, adorned in opulent blue drapery similar to that worn by the Virgin Mary. Instead of holding Christ, she cradles her daughter, the infant Eve. Surrounding them are vibrant, blossoming flowers.

According to Helen Morales, a UCSB professor who curated the exhibition catalog "Master Narrative," the orishas and saints eventually merged through the process of religious syncretism. Rosales cleverly references this syncretism in her paintings by portraying the orishas with golden halos, reminiscent of the saints with whom they became intertwined.

The painting "Migration of the Gods" portrays enslaved Africans bearing their deities on their shoulders amidst the dreadful experience of the Middle Passage, skillfully combining various eras and locations into one mesmerizing artwork.

Morales stated that Rosales' paintings exhibit a unique form of syncretism. This syncretism not only challenges our perceptions of beauty, but also prompts us to find commonalities and differences among Greek, Roman, and Yorùbá mythologies. Rosales' inclusive perspective reflects her generous and loving vision, as she focuses on the connections that bring us together rather than the divisions that separate us.

Gary Simmons' haunting art pieces, rooted in history and race, possess an eerie timelessness that resonates with the present. According to Yorùbá folklore, Yemaya, driven by her deep maternal love, merged her essence with the vast ocean, earning praise for rescuing the Yorùbá individuals who endured the harrowing voyage on slave ships, only to be scattered across distant lands.

Yemaya's presence is further explored in "Master Narrative" through various artworks, including "Ascension into the Waters." In another captivating piece titled "Yemaya Meets Erinle," we witness Yemaya's captivating ability to experience desire as she gradually falls in love with the mesmerizing divine fisherman.

Though Rosales portrays slavery, her paintings also capture the multidimensionality that Black people possessas in "Yemaya Meets Erinle."

Lucy Garrett/Harmonia Rosales

The centerpiece of the exhibit is Rosales' sculptural reinterpretation of Michelangelo's famous painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The powerful and significant scenes depicting pivotal Biblical stories of creation have served as a visual account of humanity's spiritual growth over time. For Rosales, the exhibition would not have been truly complete without her rendition of this iconic masterpiece.

"I wasn't sure how to present it," Rosales explained, reflecting on the creative process behind her first venture into sculpture. "I thought, should I recreate a chapel ceiling? But that would contradict my message. The chapel ceiling, in a way, initially restricted us, as it represented the imposition of a single religion on all."

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According to Rosales, the Yorùbá gods portrayed in her artwork installation called "Master Narrative" have always been in our presence. She believes that during the transatlantic journey, we played a vital role in their survival, just as they contributed to our own survival.

"Master Narrative" is a powerful piece by Lucy Garrett/Harmonia Rosales, skillfully utilizing her extensive body of work to portray the orishas, the Earth, its inhabitants, and the tales that shape their existence. This captivating artwork boldly reclaims its space on the curved surface of a capsized slave ship.

A similar theme is depicted in the grand artwork known as "Still We Rise," inspired by the renowned Maya Angelou poem and influenced by Michelangelo's iconic fresco "The Last Judgment." This remarkable composition, which adorns the altar wall of the magnificent Sistine Chapel, provides a captivating twist. Instead of the flayed skin of Saint Bartholomew portrayed in Michelangelo's painting, a burning Confederate flag takes its place, symbolizing the triumphant emergence of those oppressed and enslaved in the Americas.

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Rosales explained that she chose to depict the burning of the flag in her painting "The Last Judgment" to convey a sense of empowerment and positivity. According to her, the flag had been representing a restriction, dictating our actions and beliefs, thus she wanted to symbolize its destruction.

The exhibition takes place during a significant period when Black individuals are asserting their presence in history and embracing their heritage, while facing opposition to the reinterpretation of this historical narrative. Rosales clarified that her intention is not to align her work with any specific movement, but rather to contribute to the overall empowerment that may arise from these movements.

Rosales questioned the politicization of perceiving Black individuals as godlike figures. She raised doubts about the political implications of incorporating our narratives into a historical foundation that was constructed without our inclusion and the potential political impact of attempting to modify that foundation.

"I view it as sharing a piece of my culture that I hope to witness more of," she remarked. "These are my offspring, and as I release them into the world, they determine their own aspirations."

While Rosales initially created the figures for her daughter, she discovered something profound within herself. "I gained a sense of empowerment and self-identity," she revealed. "Each of these artworks narrates my personal experiences."

"Harmonia Rosales: Master Narrative" is on display at the Spelman College Museum of Art in Atlanta through December 2.