Portraits from the Trench

Portraits from the Trench is a painting series documenting folks on the rematriation journey, It is part of Yasmin’s Rematriating Borikén Project tracing the journeys of lifelong stewards, folks like herself who arrived to live from the Diaspora and people born or raised on the archipelago who were forced to leave but chose to return. Each portrait is informed by interviews that she does at her studio, CucubaNación in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. The series is inspired by the Puerto Rico Trench and abyss aesthetics as outlined in her Rematriating Borikén Manifesto. Drawing from aesthetics of her Brooklyn childhood, she remembers paintings on black velvet glowing in black light. Honoring black as the original canvas with glowing colors, reflections on darkness, light and the abyss, together with various creatures of the deep, comprise this necessary series documenting how we align, attune to the archipelago.
Gratitude to the National Association of Latino Arts & Cultures for supporting this research and development for this painting series.