Yemaya 2019

Harmonia Rosales created this painting titled "Yemaya" using oil on canvas. The portrait has a striking, almost sculptural, presence. The figure's gaze is direct, its smooth skin contrasted against the raw texture of the canvas background. Splashes of water animate the composition, interplaying with the figure and several vibrantly rendered fish. The work's structure invites semiotic interpretation. The water, traditionally a symbol of purification and life, merges with the figure, suggesting an intrinsic connection between the individual and nature's life-giving forces. Fish become signs of abundance and transformation. This visual language moves past mere representation; it engages with broader cultural and philosophical concepts about identity, existence, and the interconnectedness of all things. The painting's destabilization of traditional portraiture and the blending of figure and ground ask us to consider the fluid nature of identity and representation, reflecting our evolving understanding of cultural narratives.