Oct. 11 - Jan. 11, 2014

Reception with the artists Oct. 25, 5:30 PM - 8PM

(Panel discussion on the exhibition Dec. 7th at 3PM)

<a title="Raul Ayala" href="http://tallerpr.org/?p=75" target="_blank">Raúl Ayala</a>, <a title="La Buruquena" href="http://tallerpr.org/?p=60" target="_blank">La Buruquena</a>, Miguel Caraballo, Danny Torres, Marina Gutiérrez, Maria Dominguez, Paola Nogueras, and Miguélàngel Ruíz

This survey exhibition brings together reinterpretations of a central figure in Puerto Rico’s culture - the Vejigante. Having evolved from a figure of mystery and mischief in carnivals and festivals in Puerto Rico, the Vejigante has developed into a symbol of cultural identity, resilience, and resistance. The artists in the exhibition  range from the traditional to the contemporary, from the basic role of vejigantes as celebratory figures to iconic messengers of personal statements.

About the artists and artisans:

Raúl Ayala, from the town of Loíza in Puerto Rico, is an authority on the traditional Loíza style, characterized by caretas made from coconut shells and commonly seen with buckteeth and three horns. Ayala comes from a multi-generational family committed to maintaining the dance and music festival traditions of this region as well as its mask making art form.  In Loíza, the vejigante not only participates in carnivals but also in the Feast of St. James the Apostle (Fiesta de Santiago de Apóstol) in the third week of July. In this festival, the vejigantes are accompanied by people dressed as caballeros (knights) in recognition to the Spanish origins of the festival where they celebrate the Christian Castilians’ ouster of the Muslim Moors from Spain. Some interpret the festival as a metaphor for the eternal battle between good and evil. The majority of Loíza’s population is of African descent and views the vejigantes not as evil, but as a vestige of their African heritage. Ayala’s masks are famed for their beauty, construction, design and large amount of horns.

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