Installation

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An Evening in Guanima is a captivating collection of Bahamian folktales that immerses readers in the rich cultural storytelling of the Bahamas. Stories feature beloved characters such as Bouki and Rabbi, Jack and B’er Debbil, and the Gaulin Woman. These tales are infused with humor, moral lessons, and elements of magic, offering insights into island life and values. 

This sculpture was inspired by a Bahamian folklore about a foreign woman who shape-shifts into a bird at night. She marries a local bachelor, but when he finally witnesses her transformation, she takes him out to sea, never to be seen again.

The work was created during a pivotal moment in Bahamian history — the referendum on whether Bahamian women could pass on citizenship regardless of circumstance. At the time, conversations with strangers revealed a troubling disconnect: many focused on job scarcity or expressed xenophobic attitudes toward immigrants, seemingly overlooking the law’s significance.

As a woman of mixed heritage — my mother American, my father Bahamian — I felt acutely the precariousness of belonging. Had my father not been Bahamian, I would not have had citizenship simply because of the “wrong seed.” This sculpture emerged from that mix of frustration, reflection, and longing. The folklore resonated with me, a story of outsider status and fleeting connection, mirroring my own experiences of being seen as “other” in the place I call home.