Imagining Them
My portrait, titled "Ache Pa Ti" and referenced verbatim as "Ache Pa Ti" is a vibrant exploration of Santería and a profound reflection of my Cuban roots. Growing up in the predominantly Cuban community of Hialeah in South Florida, I vividly remember seeing people dressed entirely in white as I traveled about with my parents as a child. As I grew older, I learned about Santería’s deep Cuban and African origins as an African diasporic religion developed through the late 19th-century syncretism of traditional Yoruba religion, Roman Catholicism, and Spiritism. Wearing white in Santería is akin to wearing your Sunday best, signifying that someone has been blessed, cleansed, or recently initiated; while it might seem foreign to outsiders, to those of us raised in South Florida, it is a familiar, rich part of our history and no more uncommon than seeing Rabbis walking the streets of South Beach or Jehovah's Witnesses going door to door.
The journey of this painting is uniquely personal, having originally been created for the “La Mano Hispana” art show in Hialeah back in 2018. What started as a simple sketch in one of my art books became a continuous labor of love, as I kept returning to the page to add “just a little bit more” until it naturally evolved into a finished painting. It went on to be purchased by Doctor’s Medical Centers and was raffled for the art show, eventually becoming one of my most popular and recognized works to date. On a funnier note, the title was actually misspelled on the title card during the exhibition—an accidental slip that was later corrected to “Ache Pa Ti,” though I always have to mention it because I'm certain both of my grandparents rolled over in their graves that day!
Visually, "Ache Pa Ti" captures an incredible sense of texture, spirit, and cultural pride. The central figure is depicted with eyes closed in a moment of serene contentment, a large cigar resting comfortably between their lips. They are framed by a striking royal blue headwrap crowned with a massive, textured crimson flower, contrasting beautifully against the crisp white clothing that symbolizes spiritual purity. Holding a textured blue fan below, the figure is adorned with dramatic earrings and a prominent, heavy statement necklace made of large, organic stone shapes. Set against a warm, mottled golden-yellow background that radiates a sun-drenched energy, the portrait stands as a powerful, soulful celebration of identity and heritage.
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