Omi Healing the Will by Patricia Encarnación
Patricia Encarnacion
Omi Healing the Will
Print size: 18 x 24 in. | Frame: 30 x 22.5 in.
Archival ink Print. Edition 5/5.
Starting Price: $1,500
About the Work
Referring to the phrase "Breaking the Will," this piece explores the concept of "omi," meaning water in Yoruba, as a symbol of renewal. The phrase "Healing the Will" reflects on the historical practices of colonialism aimed at breaking spirits and diminishing resistance—the colonial effort of "breaking the will." This photograph invites viewers to consider the transformative power of water as a means of reclaiming strength and agency, challenging persistent colonial narratives, and celebrating the enduring determination to resist and heal amidst adversity.
About the Artist
Patricia Encarnación (she/they) is an Afro-Dominican interdisciplinary artist and scholar. Her work critically engages with colonial legacies across various socio-cultural layers within Afro-diasporic communities, focusing on the Caribbean, Latin America, and it’s diaspora. Through explorations of material culture, collective memory, and cultural identity, Encarnación challenges tropes of Caribbean and tropical aesthetics by recontextualizing everyday objects, landscapes, and aesthetics from her upbringing.