Guabancex

This painting explores the sacred relationship between people and place through the Taíno spirit Guabancex. In the creation stories of the Taíno peoples of Hispaniola and Borikén (Puerto Rico), Atabey embodies the nurturing consciousness of the earth, while Guabancex is her fierce counterpart, called upon to purge corruption, clear decay, and make way for new growth. I portray the storm not as destruction, but as part of the land’s natural rhythm—a force that protects, restores, and renews. Through Guabancex, I honor the enduring connection between Indigenous peoples and their ancestral homeland. The painting reflects my belief that, like the landscape itself, our histories, identities, and relationship to place persist through every storm, carrying memory and renewal across generations.