“Portales” by Samuel Lind
Presented by The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture. In partnership with Taller Puertorriqueño. Curated by José Ortiz-Pagán. Photographs by Gustavo Garcia
Levacíon 2012, Samuel Lind
Traveling to the NMPRAC from Taller Puertorriqueño in Philadelphia, Portales (Portals) brings together several avenues of exploration within Samuel Lind’s 50-year career, some of which have not been exhibited together before. Through paintings, installations, prints, and sculptures, Lind explores his spiritual voyage and healing practices from the African Diaspora, not only of his native Loíza but also stimulated by his imagination. The inclusion of household objects, amulets, and totems bring together the artist’s home and the presence of his hometown of Loíza.
Ofrenda de Fruta, 1995, Samuel Lind
Linda creates a blend of paintings and installation practices utilizing household objects, amulets, and totems, which channel the artist’s actual home and studio, as well as the presence of his hometown of Loiza.
Osain, 2010, Samuel Lind
This sculpture is a representation of Osain, a deity of wild plants and healers, according to Yoruba religion. Here Lind imagines the deity embodying the mangrove forest of Loíza. This maquette is a small rendition of a public sculpture that was displayed in the Botanical Garden in Caguas.
Tierra Mujer, 2011 Samuel Lind
Tierra Mujer presents mangroves as a sacred fertility goddess. Through it, Lind depicts the long-standing Loíza belief that a mangrove forest is a place of power where the surrounding community draws healing, support, and subsistence. The pose of the goddess also resembles that of the Atabeyra petroglyph found in Utuado, Puerto Rico and which represents the Taíno people’s goddess of fertility.
El Coco, 2008, Samuel Lind
The artist is inspired by his ancestry and the culture of Loíza, which is known as the heart of Afro-Puerto Rican culture and nicknamed the "Capital of Traditions."
Mano Poderosa, 2012, Samuel Lind
This hand was created by Lind originally as a practical piece to hold his jewelry at his home. As it began to carry jewelry that is very precious to the artist in many aspects, including spiritually, the piece transformed into an object of power.
Camuflage, 2016, Samuel Lind
Conexion, Ballarina de Bomba, 2019, Samuel Lind
Lind is inspired by Loíza's Afro-Caribbean traditions, such as bomba music and dance, which is emblematic of Puerto Rican culture in general. This painting depicts traditional bomba dance attire.
Jesus de Loiza Aldea, c. 1990, Samuel Lind
Ella naturaleza, 1996, Samuel Lind
serigraphs | samuel lind
Serigraphy is Lind's preferred medium for capturing the colors of Loíza. Since the 1970s, he was commissioned by the Puerto Rican government to create silkscreen posters to promoted cultural events. While these types of posters are no longer common, Lind continues to use the technique to express the culture of his hometown, especially its famous festivities.
Fiestas de Loiza (1995) Samuel Lind
