Juasline Plasencia
SENIOR THESIS ART EXHIBITION
Juasline "Juju" Plasencia
Garfield, NJ
Artist Statement
As an Afro-Indigenous, Puerto-Rican, Dominican woman, growing up in the Northeast meant growing up in a place far away from my native Caribbean islands. Although my family fully embraced their Nuyorican & Domiyork culture after immigrating to the United States, I also had the privilege of traveling frequently to my parent’s countries and learning the importance of the natural and the spiritual connections my family has had with our Caribbean lands. As a way of decolonizing my mind, I began researching my ancestry to pay homage to my Taino & African ancestors that were the victims of colonization and the Transatlantic Slave trade. Due to this injustice, many of their names have been forgotten and their stories lost. While I do not know all of their names, I share in their belief of the sacredness of the Earth and all of its creatures. Although these entities are not here physically, I hope that they can observe my work in the afterlife and know they are not forgotten; That their teachings are still remembered.