Altares de los Orishas: Afro-Caribbean Sacred Spaces
Borinquen Gallery
April 8,1999 to June 30,1999
A lavishly decorated celebratory altar to the orisha Yemaya, a deity of the sea, will be built by Salvador Ortiz (Junito) expressly for El Museo del Barrio. Sumptuous fabrics, ceramics, bright sequins, foods and delicately strung beads are combined to represent Yemaya's cool personality. A nearby altar for the guerreros, or warrior deities, will complement the exhibition.
The altar, or trono, is an important component in Orisha Worship, also known as Santería. Orisha Worship is rooted in African Yoruban traditions and was brought to the New World during the Atlantic slave trade. Like the Santos de Palo, the African Yoruban deities and their imagery traveled and evolved throughout the New World. Orisha practices reached both New York City and Puerto Rico by 1959. The exhibition's sacred spaces will serve as a forum for the discussion of contemporary Orisha Worship practices in New York and its history. The exhibition's altars will provide the public with a unique opportunity to learn about an important religion of the Americas.
