Details — Click to read
Collagraph/Duotone Lithograph/Handcoloring/Cowie Shells
Arches Black 250gsm and Mulberry
64”h x 44”w
Edition Various of 16 2000
The Vejigante (bay-he-GAHN-tay) is a fantastic, colorful
character introduced into carnival celebrations in Puerto Rico
hundreds of years ago. He is a classic example of the blending
of African, Spanish, paints it to resemble a balloon. The Vejigante’s costume is
made from scraps of fabric and looks like a clown suit with a cape
and batwings under the arms. During the carnival celebrations in
Loíza Aldea and Ponce, the Vejigantes roam the streets in groups
and chase children with their vejigas. The Vejigante is such an old
character that he is even mentioned in the classic novel Don Quixote
written in 1605.
From Exitstudio.com
Celebrating the Spanish defeat of the Moors, Juan Sanchez takes this
traditionally male figure and assigns it to the feminine (in his photograph)
in the form of his daughter, Liora.
and Caribbean influences in Puerto Rican
culture. The name Vejigante comes from the Spanish word for
bladder, vejiga. The Vejigante inflates a dried cow’s bladder
